Once Bitten, Twice Shy
by TonightWillEndInBloodshed
Summary: The night Sirius Black ran away from home his life changed, for the worse. He was hunted, captured and attacked before being left to die in an alleyway. When he awoke he found himself a newly born vampire and thirsty for blood. His instincts push him t
1. Fledgling

**Fledgling **

If you looked through the window to 12 Grimmauld Place, you would see a young boy, around fourteen years of age, standing with his arms crossed defiantly, his feet slightly apart and a tall man standing across from each other. The boy was called Sirius and though he didn't know it, his fate was to be decided that night. He had ebony hair that fell elegantly across his face, partly obscuring his grey eyes that were blazing with rage. His face was angular and set in an angry scowl, his teeth clenched tightly together. The man had exactly the same shade of black hair, and the same shaped face, but that was where the similarities stopped. The man's eyes were of a toxic green colour, and he stood with his wand pointing at Sirius, his face also set into a furious glower.

"You disobedient, ungrateful little blood – traitor," Orion yelled, his voice constricted partly, his hatred was so great.

"I have done nothing wrong!" Sirius bellowed, his voice, too, betraying unimaginable rage. "You sit up here in your cobwebby old house that's crumbling around you, with your hag of a wife and mouse of a son, ordering people about, insulting muggle–borns and half–bloods and thinking you're so special, just because the fools who gave birth to this wretched family were wizards when you actually know nothing!" Sirius's hands were shaking with barely suppressed fury and the fire dancing in his eyes was brighter than ever.

"How dare you-" Orion hissed, his face pale.

"When are you going to realise that blood means nothing?" There was a hint of desperation in Sirius's voice as his glared into his father's eyes, his voice quieting slightly.

"Blood is everything you brat, and it's about time you realised that, Crucio!"

Sirius's eyes widened as the curse hit him and a scream tore his throat as he crumpled to the floor, writhing and yelling as the terrible curse ripped through his body, setting fire to his organs and stabbing through his very soul. When the pain left him, Sirius lay on the floor breathing heavily, his eyes closed so he did not have to look at the man standing over him. That was the not the first time he had been subject to the Cruciatus curse, but it seemed to get worse every time his parents used it. Sirius dragged himself to his feet, knowing it would anger Orion further if he stayed on the floor and forced himself to meet the hate filled gaze.

"How important is blood now, Traitor?"

"It is unimportant, you will never understand because you are too selfish and vain to see past the end of your own nose!" Sirius was shocked to hear the words coming so strongly out of his own mouth, from inside his own being.

Orion's eyes flashed. "You will never be a Black," he roared, shoving Sirius out of his way as he strode across the room.

Sirius somehow kept his balance and began to laugh, an empty, humourless laugh that echoed throughout the room.

"That is supposed to be an insult, Father?" he asked, his face becoming serious as he faced the angry man once more.

"It would be to anyone with sense or nobility!" Orion answered, unable to hide his anger as well as Sirius.

"Of which you have none!" Sirius yelled. "I do not wish to be a Black, I wish for all of you to leave and never come back so I can no longer be burdened or humiliated by you!"

A flash of dangerous looking blue light lit up the room but Sirius repelled it with the wand that had been hidden up his sleeve.

Orion looked furious but kept his temper in check as he walked towards his first born son. "I have a guest I wish for you to meet," he said, smiling grimly.

"I do not wish to meet them," Sirius replied, stepping out of his father's reach.

"I do not care what you want, you will meet our guest and you will treat him with polite respect if you know what's good for you," Orion said meaningfully, glaring at Sirius.

"Who-" Sirius cut himself off mid–sentence as he felt breath across the back of his neck. He turned slowly on the spot to take in the man standing behind him. He was tall and towered over Sirius's shorter form, his bright yellow eyes alive with malice, his mouth curled into a sly smile as he observed Sirius rather as a spider would observe its prey.

"Well, well, well, this is the great Sirius Black. So unobservant, so weak," the man sneered, looking down on Sirius as though he were grime on the floor. He was twirling a wand in his fingers, looking triumphant and Sirius lifted his hand up so it was in front of his eyes– his wand was not held in it, it was in the man's hand and Sirius hadn't even realised it had been taken. He made a grab for it but the man moved to the other side of the room with such speed Sirius did not see him move.

"Give it back," Sirius said quietly, striding confidently towards the man, unknowing of the danger he was in.

The man smiled widely. "Do you think you can overpower me?" he asked.

Sirius shrugged nonchalantly. "I do not know," he replied. "But I have nothing to lose." And he leapt towards the man with the intent of wresting the wand from him. The man gestured and Sirius found himself flying through the air. He landed on the floor with a painful thump. He groaned –of all the things he had been expecting, that had not even been on the list. Sirius rolled over and scrambled to his feet wondering how to get his wand. He walked towards the man again and got closer this time before being pushed away by a mysterious force. He glared at the man.

"What are you?" he asked angrily.

The man didn't reply but instead glanced up at the chandelier. Instantly, all of the candles went out and the room was plunged into darkness. Sirius gasped and backed away, into a wall, squinting into the blackness trying to define a figure. He heard footsteps on the opposite side of the room to he, but they were too heavy to belong to the man with the odd powers, it was Orion. Sirius had forgotten about him and forgot once again as he sensed somebody standing in front of him. He reached out blindly but felt only air. Then something grabbed him by the shoulders with an extraordinarily firm grip and he saw the man's face in front of him, grinning like a maniac.

Only then did he register the unusually sharp canines that curved slightly to form a deadly point and then it clicked into place.

"You're a vampire," he gasped, struggling to free himself of the vice like grip.

"Very good." The man was leaning towards Sirius now; his mouth was close to the soft flesh of the young boy's neck. Sirius yelled out, thrashing wildly as he fought to throw the man off. It was no use though – he was too strong. Then Sirius remembered the wand. Craning his head as far back as it would go so the vampire would not be near it, Sirius groped in the dark for his wand until he realised that the man had dropped it. In desperation, he grabbed the man's face and shoved him away with all the strength he could muster. The vampire stumbled, caught off guard and Sirius took his cue and ran towards where he knew the door was. He burst into a hallway, knocked over the umbrella stand and pelted out of the front door, into the heavy rain of the night.

The rain made his knees buckle as it fell onto his head, soaking him within seconds but Sirius did not stop running. He tore down the street, a black figure silhouetted against the full moon shining innocently in the background, his feet flying across the ground faster than they had ever carried him before, splashing in puddles and stumbling on the uneven paths. He sprinted down an alleyway, the breath stinging as it rushed into his lungs. Sirius outstretched his hand to brush against the alley wall – the darkness was so dense he could not see two feet in front of him. He stopped running now and instead walked through the empty passage, gasping for breath and constantly looking over his shoulder, eyes wide with terror. Sirius could have sworn he heard another pair of footsteps but brushed it away as his mind being over active due to fear.

When he was about halfway through the alley, Sirius could ignore it no longer – there was someone in the alley with him and he had no doubts as to who it was.

"What do you want?" he called, turning around and trying not to let his voice shake. The shout echoed through the alley, leaving no doubt that the vampire had heard.

A laugh answered Sirius's question. A cold laugh, filled with malice and Sirius knew immediately that there was no point in running. A single laugh had told him exactly what was going to happen tonight and that there was no way he could stop it. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to try. Turning round again, he began running towards the exit, spurred on by fear. The cackle sounded out again as the beast gave chase and Sirius crashed into something in front of him that was both invisible and extremely solid. A barrier. He swore and looked round, sensing that the vampire was behind him and he was right; the evilly sharp fangs glinted mysteriously in the darkness and the putrid breath engulfed Sirius once more. He was paralysed with fear now, his body wouldn't obey his commands to fight or run- he was far too tired. The vampire stepped closer so he was practically nose to nose with Sirius and he smiled maliciously.

"You know you cannot run, Sirius Black. It would be better to surrender," he hissed, his pointy tongue running over shockingly red lips in anticipation of the blood he was soon to drink.

"I will never surrender," Sirius declared, pushing his back against the barrier. It stayed whole and functional however and Sirius felt his determination ebbing away. "Please," he said, "Don't do it."

"I am on strict orders, fledgling. I have to do this." He was grinning evilly, clearly enjoying himself as he drew out the moment Sirius knew was coming.

"I am not a fledgling," said Sirius, narrowing his eyes.

The vampire chuckled but didn't say anything. He merely lent forwards and rested his fangs against the skin of his prey's neck. Sirius stiffened in fear as he tried to struggle away but the vampire held him in a strong grip again; he was risking nothing this time. Sirius felt the fangs pierce his skin and immediately came over sleepy and weak. There was no point in struggling, it was done now anyway and besides, Sirius didn't think he could move if he wanted to. The vampire slowly drained him of blood, savouring every mouthful, but left just enough to keep Sirius alive until he was found by someone who would help him. He drew away and licked his lips again, allowing Sirius to crumple to the floor now he was no longer being supported. Then the vampire lent over him and Sirius saw the yellow eyes staring into his own once again.

"Fledgling," the man hissed, and he was gone.

Sirius soon lost the will to keep conscious and succumbed to the darkness that had been tempting him since the vampire's bite.


	2. Blood and Sunlight

**Blood and Sunlight **

The first thing Sirius registered as his conscious mind awoke was that his neck felt stiff, heavy and oddly tingly. He kept his eyes closed, mentally checking the rest of his body for injuries – he ached all over but there seemed to be nothing serious and no lasting damage. He also realised that he was lying on something soft, and a blanket was covering him. This was strange; the last thing he could recall was collapsing in an alleyway.

Sirius finally wrenched his eyes open, only to screw them tightly shut again with a yell of surprise as they stung and began to water profusely from the bright light. He groaned and then sighed as footsteps hurried in his direction. He flinched instinctively as they reached him, pulling the covers away from his arm as he did so, and felt excruciating pain as though his skin was being ripped off and nailed back on again and again. A scream escaped his lips and his eyes opened of their own accord, instantly adding to his pain and discomfort.

"Calm down," said a voice next to him soothingly. Sirius was shocked – he had expected Kreacher at the very least. The woman to whom the voice belonged fixed the covers and the pain disappeared from Sirius arm, allowing him to close his eyes again, sighing with relief. He heard a snapping sound nearby, and a swishing. The lights beyond his eyelids immediately dimmed so Sirius opened one eye gingerly. When no pain came, he opened the other and looked at the room he was in, instantly recognisable as a hospital by the smell that Sirius hadn't noticed before and the cleanliness. Everything was white as well.

A Healer standing next to the bed was bending over him, checking his arms, face, and chest. Sirius glared at her but she ignored him and continued with the check up, continuing on to his eyes, mouth, ears and nose. She listened to his heartbeat and checked his blood pressure before stepping backwards, stowing her wand in her robes.

"Good morning," she said.

"Where am I?" he asked. "What happened? Why am I here?"

"You're in St. Mungo's," she told him.

"Why?" Sirius asked immediately.

"I am not your Healer, I cannot tell you. I will call Healer Compton now." She was already walking away. Sirius scowled angrily at her back and as soon as the office door closed he slipped out of bed, stumbling as his legs shook. He had barely taken two steps when a male voice said loudly "Sirius Black, you are to stay in bed; you need rest."

Sirius started and spun round, glaring at the intruder as his head spun. It was a tall man in green robes. He had dark hair, dark eyes and a thin mouth. _He looks a little like a male Professor McGonagall_, Sirius mused as he looked at him.

"Get back into bed," the Healer snapped.

_Yep_, Sirius thought, _definitely a McGonagall_. He grinned as he realised the fun he could have, at least until Healer Compton arrived.

"Don't you grin at me, young man. Get back into that bed, now."

Sirius took a step away from the bed and began strolling towards the bathroom, trying his utmost not to laugh. He reached the door of the bathroom and pushed it open, stepping inside quickly because the Healer was walking down the ward towards him with quick footsteps. Sirius lent against the door before his knees could buckle and looked around, realising that he wasn't in the bathroom, he was in a large potions cabinet.

G_reat,_ he thought sarcastically. _Absolutely_ _marvellous_.

The Healer banged on the door, shouting "Sirius Black, if you don't come out right now-"

Sirius opened the door, and looked at the Healer, staring straight into his eyes. "Why am I here?" he asked.

The man ignored him and grabbed his arm, pulling him over to the bed. Shoving him onto it, he proceeded to carry out exactly the same tests the woman had, frowning darkly.

When the Healer put down his wand, Sirius attempted to get out of bed again but the man put a hand on his shoulder.

"Oh no," he said, applying pressure so that Sirius was forced to lie down. "They warned me about you."

"Who're 'they'?" he asked. "And why am I here?"

"'They' would be your Professors from school. And you are here because you have sustained a bite."

"A bite?" Sirius asked sceptically.

"From a vampire."

Sirius stopped struggling, his eyes wide as tears welled up in them.

"A…a vampire?" he whispered.

The Healer nodded, tactfully ignoring the tears that spilled over Sirius's eyelids and down his cheeks. The boy seemed unaware that it was not salt water trailing down his face, but blood. A green robed arm reached forward, perhaps to comfort him but Sirius screamed angrily.

"Leave me alone!" he shrieked, lashing out with his fists. "I hate you! I hate all of you!"

"Now Sirius-" The Healer had stepped neatly out of the way of Sirius's flailing fists and was watching him warily but Sirius interrupted him by springing out of bed and tearing to the exit at the opposite end of the ward. He smashed through the door, terrifying those standing in the corridor and screamed so loudly that the patients on the top floor could hear him. Sirius crumpled to the floor, yelling, howling, and wailing with such heart wrenching pain and despair that several people in the corridor actually had tears in their eyes, but nobody stepped forward to help the boy. They watched in fear and sorrow but none of them moved. It was because he came from the ward that housed patients who had been bitten and the bandage wound thickly around Sirius's neck was a good indicator as to what exactly had bitten him. And they were scared. Scared of a young boy who needed help but couldn't receive that help because one night a vampire decided to snack on him. Healer Compton ran to Sirius and dropped to his knees beside him, throwing his cloak over the boy's body and closing all of the curtains with his wand. Sirius stopped screaming and instead lay on the floor, covered by the robe, panting and gasping, terror coursing through his veins as surely as his blood was.

"Sirius," the man's voice was soft. "Sirius you must listen to me! When I tell you to stay in bed, I mean it and I have good reason to say it!"

Sirius tried to say sorry but his mouth wouldn't move and his tongue was limp. Healer Compton gently pulled the cloak away from Sirius's body and several people gasped as they saw that his skin was smoking. He lay there, staring blankly at the ceiling, still breathing heavily, tears of blood still coursing down his cheeks, still looking afraid.

"I…I'm s…s…sorry," he said, taking several attempts and gasping. The effort of talking cost a lot.

"Ssh, don't speak, just rest for now. We can talk later," the Healer replied, gathering Sirius into his arms and slipping back into the ward in which Sirius was the only patient.

"No…" said Sirius weakly. "I…want to…talk. Now."

"Sirius, your body has suffered physical and emotional trauma, I don't think now is the time for chat. We can talk later." His tone was final and Sirius didn't argue; he was extremely tired and aching all over. Compton laid his patient on the clean white bed and Sirius drifted into the land of the blissfully unaware within seconds.

When Sirius awoke some time later, the aches had minimised, though they were still most definitely present. Outside the now open windows the sky was dark. He groaned and rolled onto his side, feeling that his neck was still covered in bandages. His feet touched the cold floor but he did not feel it and his eyes scanned the room for something to drink; he was so thirsty, much more than he had ever been in his life. He spied a jug of water above the fireplace and set his sights for it.

Sirius put his weight onto his legs without thinking; it was a natural thing to do, and yet he collapsed painfully.

"No," he muttered, pulling himself onto his knees and crawling towards the jug, the thirst driving him, yet dragging him back. He had to make it; he felt he wouldn't, couldn't survive if he didn't. His progress was painfully slow but he made it and grabbed the jug, tipping it into his mouth without the aid of a cup. It quenched the thirst somewhat and strengthened him, though he was not satisfied.

At that moment, Healer Compton strode in, looking apprehensively at Sirius. He was holding a goblet. It was a clear, glass goblet, filled with a ruby red liquid that sang to Sirius like the most painfully beautiful music. He wanted that liquid, and he would kill to have it. Without knowing exactly what he was doing, Sirius made a dart for the Healer and struck him to the floor, snatching the goblet, driven half crazy by the metallic, bitter, seductive scent of the liquid it held. He tipped it towards his mouth and the minute it touched his tongue, the most overwhelming pleasure coursed through his body, heightening his senses and sending his mind into overdrive. The blood satisfied him like nothing before had, he felt as though he was a man dying of thirst who had found a spring; every one of his desires was brought together, into that cup and turned into a liquid so pure, so delectable that Sirius knew nothing would be the same again and the only thing he wanted at that moment was to drink that blood and feel that pleasure for eternity.

When the goblet was empty, Sirius found himself on the floor, breathing heavily, feeling the new blood course through his veins, pumped by his heart. He wanted more, but there was no more. Was there? He could smell it though, gallons of it, some scents stronger than others but definitely present. In fact, he could smell it in the room with him. Healer Compton was on his feet, watching Sirius, waiting for another attack and looking interestedly at his patient. Sirius was a sight; his hair was dishevelled and falling over his face, into his newly poisonous yellow coloured eyes with vertical pupils, his skin was deathly pale, though it now held a tinge of redness, his mouth was stretched wide revealing deadly fangs, sharpened to a dangerous point, blood running down his chin where he had spilled it in his desire to experience that unique pleasure. He might have looked comical if it wasn't so damned frightening. Sirius's new instincts kicked in once more as he made a lunge for the Healer, smelling that maddening scent, remembering that heavenly taste. Compton kept the fledgling away using a magical barrier that a mature vampire would have been able to break easily but was too powerful for a new born such as Sirius who kept at it relentlessly anyway. Soon, he became tired and slumped to the ground, defeated, safe. The Healer let down the barrier and though Sirius looked round at the strengthened scent he did not attack again.

"Sirius," Compton said, his voice soft so as not to startle him. "You're going to have to try to control your thirst. I know it seems that I ask the impossible, but please try."

Sirius looked around slowly, fixing a deathly glare upon the Healer. "Have you ever been bitten by a v…" his voice broke. "A vamp…ire," he finished, forcing himself to say the word.

Healer Compton shook his head slowly.

"Then you do not know what it is like," Sirius growled angrily. He quickly wiped the blood from his chin, feeling disgusted with himself.

"Sirius, I realise that I cannot understand this ordeal, but you must try to control yourself," Compton insisted.

Sirius stood slowly, his legs shaking slightly. Healer Compton stepped forwards, taking his arm and leading him over to the bed.

"Tell me what happened," Sirius whispered, sitting on the edge of the soft, feather mattress.

Compton looked uncomfortable. "Are you sure that's something you want to know?" he asked quietly.

"I don't know. I think it's probably better if I know," he said, thinking aloud.

"Well, what can you remember?" the Healer asked, sitting in the chair next to the bed. Sirius didn't look at him, choosing instead to look at the bedside table. He gasped when he saw his wand lying upon it.

"Where did you get that?" he asked, snatching up the tool without which he felt so useless and vulnerable.

Compton's eyebrows rose. "It was on the floor next to you," he frowned. "Where was it when you fell?"

"That man had it. I don't know his name."

"The one who bit you?"

Sirius nodded; he didn't trust his voice.

"He must have dropped it before he left," Compton realised.

Sirius bit his lip – an old habit, and winced as his new fangs pierced the skin. His tongue flicked out automatically to lick it.

"I would advise against that," the Healer said lightly. "Biting your lip."

Sirius nodded again.

"Do you remember anything Sirius?" Compton prodded gently.

Sirius nodded. "I was out walking; we had a guest at…home in whose company I wasn't comfortable. He was tall, and he had really dark hair and…yellow eyes. His pupils were vertical," Sirius described, closing his own, identical eyes as the memory overtook him. "He had my wand, but I went out anyway. I was walking and I could hear footsteps and I realised who it was and he came closer and I couldn't get away-" Sirius was speaking quickly, becoming slightly hysterical.

"Sirius, breathe," Compton reminded him. Sirius complied and took a deep breath, allowing it to calm him down. "Is that everything that happened?"

Sirius nodded. "That's what I remember," he whispered, fighting back more tears.

Compton sighed. "I'm afraid whoever it was that bit you doesn't match any of our records. You may be his first fledgling."

Sirius flinched at the word; it was a painful reminder. "You don't…know who…bit…?" he asked, looking horrified, his voice trailing away.

"I didn't say that," Compton interrupted softly. "From the colour of your eyes, the holes on your neck, the style of the event and your description, which almost guarantees it, we can guess that it was a man named Ambrose, a very famous vampire, very fond of killing."

"Ambrose? I think I've heard of him – he's in the _Prophet_ a lot," Sirius said. "Why did he leave me alive?" he wondered. He cast his mind back to what were now his worst memories. He saw that terrible face looming over him, that evil grin and he remembered what Ambrose had said: "I am on strict orders, fledgling. I have to do this."

"He was ordered to do it," he told Compton. "Somebody wanted me to be a…monster."

"Orders?" the Healer asked. "Do you know whose?"

Sirius shook his head. "He didn't say."

Compton nodded. "I wouldn't have expected him to," he muttered, rubbing his eyes.

"Can I ask you one last thing?" Sirius said, looking at the Healer hopefully.

"One more question then," he allowed.

"Who found me? In the alley, I mean," Sirius questioned.

The green robed man looked worried; he had obviously been hoping Sirius wouldn't ask that.

"She…wishes to remain unknown," he said reluctantly.

"Oh," Sirius muttered, averting his gaze. "Okay then."

Compton yawned widely, covering his mouth. "I'm so sorry," he said afterwards.

"Don't worry," Sirius replied. "You should probably go and sleep," he added.

"But then what would you do? " Compton asked. "You don't exactly need to sleep yet."

"Yet?"

"Vampires don't need to sleep, though many rest for a long time every ten years or so to strengthen themselves," the Healer explained. Sirius winced at the word 'vampire' but then his face lit up.

"I don't have to sleep?" he asked in amazement. "I was wondering if anything good would come out of this."

Compton smiled. "No doubt that will be helpful when it comes to revising for exams," he laughed.

At his words Sirius went cold. He hadn't thought of it before, but he realised now that he couldn't go back to Hogwarts; he might bite someone. He was dangerous now, Healer Compton was in terrible danger just by being in the same room as him and that same danger would apply to James, Remus, Peter - anyone who came near him. He could already feel the overwhelming thirst building up inside of him and felt terrified by it; what if he lost control again and Compton wasn't quick enough? What if he bit the Healer who was currently sitting next to him?

"But I can't go-" he started, looking round, but the Healer was fast asleep, his head lolling on the back of the chair, mouth hanging open and snoring gently. It was then that Sirius realised just how much danger he was putting everyone in.

"Oh god," he muttered, trying to swallow the empty feeling that was rising inside of him. "Oh god oh god oh god." He could feel the thirst building steadily and guessed he had three minutes at most before he lost himself once again. "Healer Compton," he hissed, leaning towards the sleeping man but immediately pulling away again; the smell of blood was surprisingly strong. Sirius bared his fangs without realising what he was doing and growled quietly. The sound woke the Healer with a start and he immediately jumped up, taking one look at Sirius who was poised and ready to pounce, hurrying away to the office and coming back with another goblet. Sirius drained it thankfully.

"Thanks," he gasped afterwards, sitting back against the head rest. "I thought I was going to attack you."

"So did I," Compton admitted, smiling sheepishly.

"Sorry," Sirius muttered, looking away.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of," the Healer said, patting the boy's arm. "It's your nature."

"I wish it wasn't," mumbled Sirius. "Why was I thirsty again so quickly?" he asked suddenly, glancing upwards. "I'd only just attacked you before I needed more."

"Well, you're young," Compton reasoned. "Fledglings need to drink more because their bodies need it to develop properly. You've underwent drastic changes; it's to be expected."

Sirius sighed. "That doesn't change the fact that I'm still dangerous," he said.

"Don't worry. Dumbledore is arranging everything – there's no chance of you losing control at Hogwarts," Compton assured him.

"Hogwarts? But I can't go back there!" Sirius exclaimed.

"Why ever not?"

"Because…what if I hurt someone?" Sirius demanded.

"You won't. I just said, didn't I? Dumbledore has it all planned out, there's no way you'll attack anyone," the Healer said comfortingly.

"You mean, I'm allowed back?" he asked in disbelief.

Compton nodded. "You're allowed back," he promised.

And despite the fact that Sirius was damned, despite the fact that he was dangerous, he felt a flicker of hope; he was going back to Hogwarts.


	3. A Disgusting Smell

**A Disgusting Smell**

"I'm going to miss you, you know," Healer Compton said as he and Sirius stood next to the fireplace at the end of the ward that had been Sirius's home for the past few weeks.

"Me too," Sirius replied, glancing around him. "I still can't believe I'm going back to Hogwarts," he said, grinning.

"I still can't believe you ever thought you wouldn't be allowed back," Compton laughed.

Sirius's grin faded. "I'm not sure if I want to go back. I still don't think it's safe."

"Sirius, how many times do we have to tell you? You will put no one in danger! Dumbledore's spoken to you about this countless times!" Compton exclaimed, shaking his head.

"I know," said Sirius, feeling dejected. "But still…there's always a risk."

"If you do as Dumbledore said to you'll be fine," Compton reassured him for what felt like the millionth time.

"But will everyone else?" he muttered quietly under his breath.

"Don't worry. Anyway, you had better leave; it's quarter to," the Healer noted, checking the clock on the wall. "Do you have the bottles?"

Sirius patted the bag that hung over his shoulder. It clinked satisfyingly. "Yep," he replied.

"Taken your potion?"

"Yes," said Sirius, sticking his hand into the ray of sunlight that was filtering in through the window. Nothing happened.

"Good," Compton said. "Now there's no way you can be exposed during this train ride."

Sirius smiled. "Thanks," he said sincerely. "For everything; you've really helped me."

"It's my job," Compton said. "Don't you go kidding yourself that I did it because I liked you," he joked.

"Well, goodbye. Thanks again." And with that he stepped into the emerald flames and shouted "Platform nine and three quarters!". He was gone in a whoosh of green fire.

Sirius stepped out of the fireplace on the platform from which he would leave to start his fifth year at Hogwarts. It was already crowded with students, saying goodbye to their families, greeting friends they hadn't seen since last term, boarding the train early to find a compartment. Sirius headed towards the door of the scarlet engine and dragged his trunk through, heading towards the back where he knew his friends would be sitting. His stomach was fluttering nervously; what if he lost control? What if he exposed himself? What if they could tell? They would know that something had changed – his physical appearance was quite different, his yellow eyes, pale skin, longer hair and taller frame, but he was hoping they wouldn't ask too many questions; the topic was still painful with him.

Sirius found the Marauders' compartment and stepped inside quickly. He easily hoisted his heavy trunk up into the luggage rack and slumped in a window seat, waiting impatiently for his friends to make an appearance; he wanted to get this over with.

Peter arrived first, pulling his trunk along, huffing and puffing, cursing his mother colourfully. His hair was parted at the side and gelled over – he looked like a pageboy. Sirius snorted when he saw him before helping him with the trunk.

"What happened?" Sirius asked.

"Mother," Peter spat furiously. "She just wouldn't leave me alone!"

Sirius laughed. "Do you want some help with that?" he asked innocently.

"Please," Peter replied, trying to look up at his hair without a reflective surface. Sirius reached up and pulled a comb from his trunk. His movements were fast; Peter barely saw him move. "How did you do that?" he asked in amazement.

Sirius frowned. "What?"

"You…moved, but like, ultra quick. I hardly saw it," Peter said, taking the offered comb.

Sirius scowled. "Oh, I didn't realise."

"And, what happened to your-?"

"Hi guys! No Remus?" asked a cheery voice from the door.

"James!" Peter and Sirius greeted simultaneously.

"Hi," James repeated. "How were your holidays?"

"Boring," Peter replied. "I didn't do anything."

James chuckled, storing his trunk before collapsing in the seat next to Sirius. "What did you do Sirius? I didn't see you at all!"

Sirius bit his lip and winced; he kept forgetting his stupid fangs. He hurriedly wiped away the blood. "Oh, nothing really," he said, his voice far too casual. "I just stayed at home."

James looked at him oddly. "What's wrong with your lip?" he asked.

Damn, that boy misses nothing, Sirius thought. "I just bit my lip a little hard," he explained, wiping his mouth again.

James nodded, apparently satisfied before pulling out a pack of Exploding Snap cards.

"Oh god," said Sirius, his face paling even more as he shot up and drew the curtain across the window. He lent his back against it, heart pounding furiously.

"What's up?" James asked, startled by Sirius's behaviour.

"My parents," Sirius mumbled, looking down.

"What about them?" James was getting suspicious.

"Nothing, really, I just-" Sirius was cut off mid-sentence by the door sliding open. The most vile, bitterly horrible, disgusting smell flooded the compartment. Sirius dropped instinctively into a defensive crouch, his nose wrinkled, teeth bared, eyes wide as he snarled at the intruder. Remus stood framed in the doorway, his books across the floor, feet splayed, fists up, growling angrily.

"What the hell? Guys?" James's voice was high with fright as he stepped forward to place himself between them. "What's going on?"

No one replied. Sirius fought against himself and straightened up, nearly gagging on the foul odour. Remus dropped his fists, though his body was still tensed, ready to attack at any moment. Sirius pushed James lightly out of the way, though it still sent him sprawling, and took two steps towards Remus.

"Moony," he snarled, his voice menacing as he used the nickname that referred to Remus's lycanthropy.

"Sirius," Remus replied, his voice rough and hard. "Can I speak to for a moment?" The tone of his voice made it clear that he was only asking to be polite. Without waiting for an answer, he reached out and grabbed Sirius's wrist. It was an automatic thing to do but Sirius growled viciously and dived for the werewolf who retaliated by swiping at Sirius's head. They both fell to the floor, snapping and snarling as they rolled about on the ground, kicking, punching, hitting, anything they could possibly do to cause the other pain.

"Remus! Sirius! Stop!" James yelled, panicked, but he made no difference to the fighters.

Remus managed to get on top and hit Sirius in the face before he was thrown forcefully into the wall. At first James thought a teacher or someone had fired a spell at the pair but then he realised that Sirius had merely pushed Remus with such strength that he had been sent flying. Remus recovered quickly, before leaping at Sirius who was getting to his feet, bringing them both down again. He began hitting the vampire with all of the strength he had, anywhere he could reach, only vaguely aware of James screaming himself hoarse at them to stop. Students had gathered by this point and many were cheering them on, others looked horrified; this was the Marauders, they didn't fight but here were Sirius and Remus, beating each other up as though they were sworn enemies.

Sirius managed to punch Remus in the chest, successfully knocking him away again, and immediately charged, fangs bared, snarling loudly – a terrifying sound. His fist made contact with Remus's face, knocking his head back into the floor before he tore at his friend's exposed neck, tearing the flesh. The blood that spurted from the wound had a more concentrated form of the odour he had smelt earlier and the disgust was enough to distract Sirius for a second, giving Remus the chance to right himself and pounce again, ripping at Sirius's face. He was screaming with anger, a deep sound that reverberated through the air as he pounded at Sirius's chest. Sirius was infuriated by this and shoved Remus again, sending him into the wall of students.

Remus darted back towards Sirius who dodged easily, rolling away and crouching as he had earlier, ready for the werewolf's next attack which was to run at him and pounce. Sirius shot out of the way, agile as a cat, teeth bared once more as Remus also crouched, only his stance was different to Sirius's, more offensive, whereas Sirius was defensive, looking for the right moment in which to attack so he was lower, hands brushing the floor, head up, watching, waiting. Remus was just getting ready to spring when there was a loud BANG! that distracted him, giving Sirius the opportunity he had been waiting for; Remus's undefended neck. He had tore at it once but this time he was going for the bite. He leapt, so quickly he was a blur, at Remus, pinning him easily and laughing triumphantly. He was about to lean down when he found himself being thrown through the air, Remus gone from beneath him, before crashing painfully into a wall. He slid down, resuming his defensive crouch as he stared through the crowd, searching out the offender. It hadn't been Remus; he, too, was lying on the floor having been blasted out of the way. Sirius caught sight of a figure that towered above everyone else and he knew it was she who had broken up the fight; she had her wand out and a furious expression on her face. Professor McGonagall.

"You two, come with me," she said, her voice icy.

Sirius's limbs shook as he forced himself out of his crouch – he felt too vulnerable and unprepared standing like this. Especially in the presence of a werewolf. He walked slowly forwards, glaring at Remus, never blinking. Whispers immediately breezed through the students; "What happened to his eyes?" "Look at his eyes!" "They've changed colour!" "Yellow eyes?". "Looks like a cat," he heard someone mutter as he walked past. He growled quietly, hushing the whisperers and halted as he reached the Deputy Headmistress.

Remus stood in front of him, his eyes never leaving Sirius's as he took hold of Professor McGonagall's left arm, preparing to Apparate with her. Sirius gripped her right arm tightly, still staring furiously at Remus and the three of them disappeared with a crack.

They landed smoothly in Dumbledore's office. He seemed to be expecting them – he didn't even look up from his parchment as they arrived. Remus was slightly out of breath after being released from the tight, restrictive feeling of Apparating. Sirius felt proud as he realised he hadn't been affected by it at all but became terrified as he realised that his thirst was rising inside of him like a tidal wave, threatening to overpower him any minute.

"Professor," he said quickly, stepping forward.

Dumbledore looked up and registered Sirius's blackening eyes. "You're thirsty," he noted, standing and hurrying over.

"Yes, it'll be too much in a few minutes but I left my bag on the train," Sirius explained, his voice fast and fluent. Remus was hard put to hear him, let alone McGonagall.

"This bag?" the head of Gryffindor asked, holding up Sirius's black shoulder bag. A distinctive clinking sound could be heard as Sirius grabbed it.

"Thanks," he muttered, sticking a hand inside and groping around. He pulled out a glass bottle filled with a ruby red liquid. He sent an apologetic glance at Professor McGonagall before he tipped his head back and swallowed the bottle-full. His eyes altered again so they were yellow once more and Sirius relaxed a little though he remained on the verge of dropping into a crouch; Remus was still present.

"Now, boys I think we have some explaining to do," Dumbledore said gravely. "Minerva, I'll deal with this," he added, dismissing his Deputy Head.

"That leech attacked me!" Remus started angrily.

"It's not my fault, dog, if you didn't smell so disgusting I might not have had to," Sirius retorted.

"Better a werewolf than a vampire," Remus spat the word as though it were poison.

"At least I don't lose my mind!" Sirius said loudly.

"No, you just leave your instincts do everything for you! Vampires kill innocent people all the time!" Remus shouted.

"Oh, and werewolves don't?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

"At least my infliction is only for one night a month, you're a monster every day of the week, every week of the year!" Remus yelled.

This touched a nerve; it was something Sirius had been dwelling upon far too much lately, and he lunged at Remus again. He didn't get very far; Dumbledore stopped him with magic easily which only infuriated Sirius more.

"Stop that!" he yelled as he drifted about three foot from the floor.

"Sirius!" Dumbledore thundered. "We've talked about this before! Calm yourself!" he ordered.

"NO!" Sirius screamed, thrashing wildly, his eyes pitch black again. "Let me down!"

"See?" Remus yelled angrily. "Do you see yourself losing control? Only a blood-sucker would do that!"

"Shut up!" Sirius shrieked. "Just shut up mutt!"

"Make me!" Remus replied, fighting to stop himself from assuming an offensive position.

"I will!" Sirius promised. "Let me go!"

"Remus, if you would wait outside a moment?" Dumbledore asked, turning angry blue eyes to onto Remus's shaking figure.

"Yes sir," Remus replied, stepping outside. Dumbledore waved his wand and there was a loud click; the door was locked.

"Now Sirius," Dumbledore said, his usually calm voice betraying his annoyance. "I know this is hard but you are not even trying to control yourself," he reprimanded.

Sirius was slightly calmer now that Remus had left, even though the werewolf was merely feet away, he felt more secure.

"I can't help it," he growled. "I can't control myself, and I am trying!"

"Then you are not trying hard enough," Dumbledore said, his voice hard.

"How could you possibly know what it is like?" Sirius asked, his voice shaking with suppressed rage.

"I can't," Dumbledore said simply. "But others do."

"Well, I have no others to talk to," Sirius retorted.

"You will soon," Dumbledore promised.

"What if I don't want them?" Sirius questioned, his eyes blazing. "What if I would rather be left alone?"

"It's not good for you to be alone Sirius," Dumbledore replied. "You will need help as you grow stronger."

"Well, as Ambrose-" Sirius snapped his teeth together in anger, "abandoned me, there's not much I can do about that, is there?"

"You will join a coven," Dumbledore said.

"A what?" Sirius asked in disgust. This was the first he'd heard of a coven.

"A coven – a group of vampires. It is compulsory to join one."

"I will not," Sirius declared.

"Yes you will, it is your kinds' laws," Dumbledore argued, flicking his wand to let Sirius down. The young vampire landed in a crouch before straightening up and taking a seat in front of the Headmaster's desk. "A fledgling joins the coven of the vampire who Turned him," Dumbledore explained.

"I'm not joining anything that Ambrose belongs to," Sirius said firmly.

"You must," said Dumbledore clearly. "It's your law but we cannot speak of it now, we have other matters to discuss. Come here tonight at eight and we can arrange for you to meet with the High Vampire."

Sirius was about to protest when the door swung open, revealing Remus who was sitting on the stairs outside, clutching his sandy blonde hair. He jumped when the door opened behind him and hurried into the office.

"I'm so sorry Sirius, I don't know what I was thinking; I just let my instinctive hatred take over and I'm truly sorry," he apologised, looking straight at Sirius.

"I'm sorry too, I don't know what came over me; I just felt so…angry at you, and you smelled gross. No offence," he added.

Remus laughed. "None taken, you don't smell so peachy yourself," he replied, looking relieved. "Sorry about that," he said again, glancing at the long cut down Sirius's right cheek.

Sirius shrugged. "I've had worse," he muttered, unconsciously rubbing his neck. "I'm sorry about…well, everything really. I can't believe I tried to bite you."

Remus laughed bitterly. "It's not the first time," he replied. "At least you weren't successful."

Sirius nodded. "What would've happened?" he asked, turning to Dumbledore.

"Nothing," came the reply. "Unless Remus is in his transformed state, your venom cannot harm him."

Sirius breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Does that go both ways?" Remus wondered aloud.

"I'm afraid not," Dumbledore said apologetically. "If you managed to bite Sirius, he would need medical help immediately."

Remus looked terrified. "Oh god, what if I-"

"You wont," Sirius interrupted confidently. Remus shot him a look that clearly said "Are you crazy?"

"I can't help but to be on my guard whilst you're around; it's taking all of my self control not to attack you right now, so I don't think you'll be able to bite me," Sirius explained.

"But what if I do?" Remus asked.

"You won't," Sirius insisted, so confident it was hard not to believe him.

Remus bit his lip. "So…how did it happen?"

Sirius looked away. "I don't really want to talk about that," he murmured.

Remus nodded sympathetically. "I think, more than anyone else you know, I understand how you feel."

Sirius laughed. It sounded hollow and empty. "I guess I realise why you wanted to hide your…furry little problem from us," he said.

"Aren't you going to tell James?"

"No," Sirius said definitely.

"Why ever not?" Dumbledore interrupted, voicing the question on the tip of Remus's tongue. Sirius looked round in surprise; he had forgotten all about the Headmaster.

"Well…he doesn't need to know," Sirius said uncomfortably.

"Surely you could have thought of an excuse a little better than that?" Dumbledore said, placing the tips of his long fingers together.

"It's not an excuse – he doesn't," Sirius frowned.

"He doesn't need to know what he's sharing a dormitory with? He doesn't need to know what happened to his best friend? Why said friend needs to constantly drink blood?" Dumbledore asked, standing and walking over to the boys.

"No," Sirius replied, sounding annoyed. "He doesn't."

"I think he has a right to know, Sirius," Remus piped up.

"Don't you side with him," Sirius cried angrily, rounding on Remus.

"Why not? Professor Dumbledore has a point, you know," Remus replied, staring Sirius down.

Sirius's eyes had begun to darken. "James does not need to know that he is sharing a room with a monster," he said, fighting to control his temper.

"He already knows!" Remus exclaimed, expertly keeping his own anger in check. "This is you we're talking about!"

Dumbledore placed a soothing hand on Sirius's shoulder, "Calm down," he said firmly, spinning Sirius around to face him. "Take a deep breath and calm yourself!"

Sirius breathed in but it didn't relieve the fury that was building inside him.

"Sirius! We've talked about this! You must try!" Dumbledore said, his voice loud and clear.

"I'm. Trying," Sirius replied through gritted teeth. "I can't do it."

"Yes you can! Try, Sirius, you can do this!" the Headmaster said, deciding on the positive approach.

The books on the shelves around the walls began to fall to the floor; the items on Dumbledore's desk blew over and joined the books, a strong, bitter cold wind whipped through the room, ruffling Remus's hair and channelling Sirius's anger. Dumbledore's beard was flying over his shoulder but he kept his hands on Sirius's shoulders.

"Sirius," he said loudly. "Listen to me. You are losing your control. You must calm down, it is vital that you learn to do this!"

Sirius screwed his eyes shut, biting down hard on his lower lip, concentrating on the anger rising in his chest. He struggled to fight it back down. There were a few tense minutes, during which several of Dumbledore's silver instruments fell to the floor and shattered, the glass in the windows smashed and Dumbledore's desk splintered with a deafening crack, but Sirius was eventually able to regain control over his emotions and he slumped to his knees, head buried in his hands.

"I'm sorry," he said. His voice was shaking so much it was hard to understand him.

"Sirius, it's okay. You controlled yourself – you _can_ do it!" Dumbledore comforted the boy, patting him on the shoulder and looking pleased. "You're just going to have to work at it."

"But I can't," Sirius whispered, horrified. He raised his head slowly, dark eyes taking in the destruction he had caused. "Look what I've done."

"That doesn't matter Sirius," Dumbledore said firmly, righting the office with a flick of his wand. "Those things are easily fixed."

"But why did that happen?" Sirius asked, slowly getting to his feet. "Sorry Remus," he added, turning to his friend who was standing near the door, looking worried.

Remus laughed shakily. "Don't worry yourself," he said.

"I will talk to you tonight Sirius. For now, I think you should go to your common room with Mr Lupin here and wait for your fellow classmates to arrive. Although first, I would advise a trip to the hospital wing," Dumbledore said, taking in the scratches and bruises on the boys' faces.

Remus nodded. "Thank you Professor," he replied, turning to the door and stepping outside.

"Thanks," Sirius said, repeating Remus. "I'll see you tonight at eight."

Dumbledore nodded. "I'll explain what I can Sirius, but I'm not promising anything."

Sirius looked away. "That's good enough for me, sir," he said before shutting the door behind him and following Remus down the revolving staircase.


	4. Start of Term

**Start of Term**

"Sirius! Remus!" a voice yelled from the crowd at the front doors of Hogwarts.

Sirius groaned. "What should we tell him?" he asked Remus, panicking as James forced his way through the crowd.

"The truth?" Remus suggested. Sirius glared at him.

"No," he said firmly. "Anything but that."

"Then I've got nothing," Remus said, spreading his hands out to emphasise the fact.

"Oh god. How about we had a disagreement during the summer?" he asked, glancing at Remus. He was becoming agitated; his eyes were darkening.

"That's cool," Remus said quickly, hoping to calm his vampire friend. "A disagreement over the summer is great. Sirius, remember – calm."

Sirius nodded, screwing his eyes shut. "Calm, yeah," he muttered distractedly.

"What the hell was all that on the train?" James demanded as he finally made it through the crowd.

Remus glanced at Sirius who had a look of great concentration on his face – he was still trying to sooth himself.

"We had an…argument over the summer," Remus lied. "Nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?" James shrieked. "I thought you were going to kill each other!"

"James, please, not now," said Sirius, glaring at the students who had begun to stare.

"Yes, now Sirius. You have no idea how worried I've been," James said angrily, pulling Remus and Sirius into a corner so they could carry on their conversation in private. "When did you even see each other over the summer?" James asked. "You said your parents wouldn't let you come out," he added, turning to Sirius and glaring at him accusatorily.

"They didn't. We met in…Diagon Alley," Sirius invented.

"Diagon Alley?" James asked, obviously not believing the lie.

"Yes," Remus insisted. "We argued over…"

"Snivellus," Sirius said suddenly.

"Snivellus?" James asked sceptically.

"No," said Sirius. "I mean Snivellus, over there." He was pointing towards Snape, hoping to distract James. It worked.

"Look at him, slimy git!" James said in annoyance, his old enemy driving everything else from his mind. "Prefect and all this year. Know-it-all."

"Hey!" said Remus indignantly. "I'm a Prefect."

"And a know-it-all," Sirius muttered under his breath. Remus kicked him.

"Oh, congratulations Moony," said James, patting Remus on the back, missing the exchange. "Come on, I'm starving."

"What else is new?" Sirius asked sarcastically.

James led the way into the Great Hall and the three of them sat at the Gryffindor table, shortly joined by Peter.

"Whoa, guys, what the hell was that on the train?" he asked in amazement, dropping onto the bench next to Remus.

"A disagreement," Sirius said, averting his gaze and looking towards the High Table. Dumbledore caught his eye and smiled slightly. It wasn't returned; Sirius was filled with worry, fear and thirst. Being around so many people whose blood he could smell horribly clearly only made it worse.

"You should've seen yourselves; it was scary."

"Well, let's just forget it shall we?" Remus said, glancing worriedly at Sirius who was clutching the table tightly and staring at the golden plate in front of him.

James looked as though he wanted to say something but at that moment the doors opened and Professor McGonagall walked in, leading the first years. Sirius couldn't help but notice how red their cheeks were as he turned around to glance at the new students.

The Sorting Ceremony passed so quickly that Sirius gave a small start when the feast appeared on the tables. The sight of it sickened him somewhat and he turned his face away slightly to lessen the smell of human food.

"Aren't you hungry?" asked James, who was holding a chicken leg in each hand.

"I already ate," Sirius muttered, thinking back to the bottles of blood he had drank before James and the others had arrived.

"But….the feast!" said James, looking perplexed. "It's the start of term feast! You've got to eat something!"

Sirius shook his head. "I don't really feel like it," he said.

"Go on," said James coaxingly, waving one of the chicken legs under Sirius's nose. The smell was overwhelming, sickening and Sirius had to fight hard to keep a hold on his temper. There were finger-shaped welts in the wooden table where Sirius was gripping it.

"I'm not hungry," he said through clenched teeth, eyes flashing.

"Sirius, what happened to your eyes?" he asked, dropping the meat and staring at his best friend.

"My eyes?" Sirius repeated, looking worried.

"Yes, they're…yellow. They look like a cat's," said James, peering at Sirius.

"Oh, yeah, yellow. Well, erm…you see…I…got splashed with…food colouring…" Sirius stammered, wishing he had been able to come up with something a little more believable.

"Oh," said James, apparently believing the story. "Is it permanent?"

"Erm…yes. Yes it is."

James snorted into his dinner.

"It's not funny!" said Sirius angrily. Remus shot him a warning look.

"Well, it's just that…yellow eyes," James sniggered.

"Oh yes, so funny, I'm just splitting myself laughing," Sirius growled sarcastically, only just managing to hide his anger. It wasn't easy; it felt as though fire was burning inside of him, fighting to be let out, screaming to cause destruction.

"Okay, okay, keep your hair on," James muttered, turning back to his dinner.

But that tipped Sirius over the edge. Never before had James annoyed him so much, add that to the fact that Remus' presence was infuriating him and setting him on edge already and Sirius was ready to blow. The golden plate in front of him crumpled into a lump of metal as though pounded by invisible hands as Sirius's anger slowly leaked out of him. The plates on either side of him folded in on themselves, imitating Sirius's.

"Hey!" James protested as his food was squashed into a pulp. His hair ruffled in the sudden wind that buffeted the students sitting closest to Sirius whose own hair was blowing in his gale, eyes blazing as his anger trickled out of him. His expression was panicked, and then terrified as the sleeves of James' robes burst into flame. James yelled in fright, jumping up as Remus threw pumpkin juice on his sleeves to put him out. Sirius stumbled to his feet, the power of the wind increasing, blowing at James so hard he was pushed backwards by it. Sirius turned and ran from the hall, collapsing on the marble staircase as he screwed his eyes shut, clenched his fists and curled in upon himself in an effort to stop the anger from spreading. He heard footsteps walking towards him at the same time as he heard the marble beneath him begin to crack and he knew it was the Headmaster.

"Help me," he gasped, feeling the wind around him increase its power.

"Come with me," said Dumbledore's voice. It was drifting away from Sirius who clambered to his feet and followed him, trying his utmost not to set anything else on fire. The torches he passed flared up as though doused in petrol before puffing out in little wisps of smoke. Dumbledore stepped out of the front doors and strode towards the lake, Sirius walking behind him with his face screwed up. They stopped near the lake, where the giant squid was basking in the shallows.

"Now let your anger out," said Dumbledore calmly. Sirius sensed him put up a strong shield charm.

"Let…let it out?" he asked, gasping slightly; the effort of keeping his emotions under control was costing a lot.

"Yes. Let go of it."

"But…but won't something get hurt?" Sirius said, clenching his fists so tightly he drew blood on his palms.

"You and I are the only ones out here," Dumbledore replied. "Let go."

And Sirius did. He released his hold on the fire inside him and it burst out, ready to destroy everything it touched. Sirius wasn't aware of what was happening; the anger was controlling him. The sorrow, the guilt, the fear and the anger all exploded outwards, pounding on Dumbledore's shield, killing the grass at Sirius's feet, making the water of the lake bubble and churn, causing the tree behind him to burst into flame.

When it had exhausted itself, Sirius found himself lying on the dead grass, breathing heavily, feeling weak and empty. And thirsty. He closed his eyes, afraid to look at the destruction around him, afraid of Dumbledore's reaction. The Headmaster knelt beside him once he was sure Sirius's anger had drained.

"Better?" he asked.

"A little," Sirius whispered. "But…I'm thirsty."

"Then we'd better get you to the Hospital Wing," Dumbledore replied, reaching out and pulling Sirius to his feet. The fledgling swayed unsteadily, his legs weak.

"I don't think…I can…get to the hospital wing," he panted, out of breath already.

"Yes you can," Dumbledore said firmly, tugging gently on his arm to make him walk forwards. Sirius stumbled towards the castle, with the help of the headmaster, dragging his feet and tripping a lot but eventually they made it. Outside the doors to the Hospital Wing, Sirius attempted to slump against the wall, exhausted, but Dumbledore pulled him inside and deposited him onto a bed where Sirius sank back against the pillows, his breath coming in heaving gasps. He closed his eyes and tried to block out the sound of voices humming nearby. Two pairs of footsteps approached him, bringing with them a strong smell of blood. Sirius's eyes snapped open and flicked to the goblet in the matron's hand.

"Here," she said, holding it out. Sirius took it and drank deeply, feeling the new strength wash through him, scouring the exhaustion and filling him with pleasure.

He dropped the goblet when it was empty, leaning back against the wall and closing his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. He seemed to be saying that a lot recently.

"You are not to blame," the matron replied kindly.

"I am though. None of this would have happened if-" He cut himself off hurriedly, biting down on his tongue and swallowing the blood that rose.

Madam Pomfrey patted his hand. "Don't worry yourself."

"But, I'm so angry, and I can hurt people, but I don't mean to, yet I do and…"

"It's not your fault," the nurse repeated firmly.

Sirius didn't believe that but he wasn't in the mood to argue. He sighed. "Can I leave?" he asked quietly.

"If you're ready."

Sighing, Sirius swung gracefully out of bed and walked swiftly towards the door.

"I'm worried about him," the matron said to Dumbledore when Sirius was out of earshot.

Dumbledore sighed. "You needn't be," he told her, staring at the door through which Sirius had just left. "He'll be fine once he faces what he is. While he remains afraid he'll be vulnerable."

"But he's so young Albus," she protested.

"He has no choice. He is what he is, and nothing anyone can do will change that," Dumbledore replied, heading towards the door. "Good night."

When he reached his office, he found Sirius waiting outside, sitting with his head in his hands looking utterly defeated.

"Crying will do you no good Sirius," he said firmly. Sirius's head snapped up in surprise and his yellow eyes narrowed in a glare.

"I wasn't crying," he said furiously.

"Good, because it won't do you any good," Dumbledore repeated, opening his office and leading the way up the staircase. He gestured for Sirius to sit down once they were inside and seated himself behind his desk.

Sirius sat on the edge of his chair, feeling embarrassed, scared, angry and confused. "You don't do much good either," he snapped.

Dumbledore smiled lightly but otherwise ignored the comment. "What do you wish to know?" he asked.

"Everything!" Sirius exclaimed. "Everything there is to know."

"Well I couldn't possibly tell you everything; some things you must find out for yourself, and others must be told to you by certain others," Dumbledore said calmly, placing his fingertips together and looking directly at Sirius. "However, there are a few things you need to know."

"Like what?" Sirius asked rudely, digging his fingernails into his palms. Why was he so angry?

"First, you'll need to join a coven," Dumbledore said simply, watching Sirius carefully for his reaction.

Sirius looked at him blankly. "A what?" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"A coven. It's a group of vampires," Dumbledore told him.

Sirius leapt up as though his seat had electrocuted him. "What?" he shrieked. "A group of vampires?"

"Yes, normally ten or more. You must join the coven of your Creator."

"Ambrose? You want me to join a group that Ambrose belongs to?" Sirius asked furiously, eyes glinting.

Dumbledore nodded. "He happens to be quite high in status among vampires you know," he said, his tone gentle.

"Well I'm not joining, no way," Sirius frowned, sitting back down and staring at Dumbledore. "They can't make me."

"Yes they can Sirius, you must join," Dumbledore said firmly.

"I'm not joining a group of blood sucking monsters," Sirius replied hotly.

"Sirius, it is custom that you join!"

"Then they can change their pathetic customs; I'm not joining!" Sirius yelled, standing again. "Is it not enough that I've been bitten by some lunatic, but now I have to join a group of his?"

"First, you must stop insulting your kind; they may not be so appreciative of it. Secondly, vampire traditions have been in place for several hundred years, and one unruly fledgling will not change them. Finally, Ambrose is not High Vampire, and so the coven is not his," Dumbledore said, growing more irritated.

"What the hell is a High Vampire?" Sirius asked, apparently not finding anything to say about Dumbledore's other points.

"A High Vampire is a very old, powerful vampire who is head of a coven," Dumbledore said, piling some papers up and pushing some quills to the side.

"Well, who's the High Vampire of Ambrose's coven?" Sirius asked, picking at a loose thread in the cushion on his chair.

Dumbledore fiddled through the pile of parchment and took out a sheaf. "High Vampire Artifex, Cruis Gens," he read.

"Cruis Gens?" Sirius repeated, frowning. "Is that an extension of his name or something?"

"Cruis Gens is the name of his coven," Dumbledore replied. "A very well known coven in fact, one of the most powerful. Several killings a week."

"Is that supposed to impress me?" Sirius asked, looking disgusted.

"It would impress any other vampire," the Headmaster said cuttingly.

"Well maybe I'm not just 'any other vampire'," Sirius replied, casting his eyes downward. "And maybe I think this Artifex is a merciless killer."

"Well I wouldn't tell him that," Dumbledore said casually.

Sirius's eyes narrowed dangerously. "What exactly is that supposed to mean?" he asked quietly.

"That he could be highly offended if a fledgling of his own coven called him a merciless killer," Dumbledore said as though it was obvious that when you meet powerful, murdering vampires you don't insult them.

"Well it's good that I'll never meet him then, isn't it?" Sirius said, tilting his head to the side.

"Actually he's coming to pick you up on Wednesday evening at eight so you can meet your coven," Dumbledore told Sirius casually, putting the parchment into a drawer beneath his desk.

Sirius's eyes widened. "What?"

"Wednesday, at eight. You must be here. Anyway, the only other thing I had to tell you was that you'll probably find that you can see well during the night, and you will probably have more developed muscles and more precise aim," Dumbledore reeled off, looking directly at Sirius.

"Right," said Sirius blankly. "Here, eight, Wednesday to meet a murderer, night-vision, strength, aim," he recited, apparently accepting that arguing wouldn't do anything.

Dumbledore nodded. "And…one more thing," he said hesitantly.

Sirius's eyes narrowed. "What, exactly, would that be?"

"Sirius, I'm incredibly sorry, but…vampires don't age," Dumbledore said regretfully.

Sirius blinked, and for the first time in a long time his eyes filled with tears, only they weren't tears. It was blood that dripped down over his eyelids and traced tracks down his pale cheeks, blood that most significantly separated him from others, and blood that he would crave for eternity.


	5. Defence Against The Dark Arts

**Defence Against The Dark Arts**

The light of the half- moon filtered in through the window, turning Sirius's face the colour of milk as he sat in the window and stared out, surprised and a little afraid of the longing he felt to be outside, to run his hands along the grass, to feel the wind in his hair, to feel free at last from the protection and surveillance that had been upon him since he had been in St Mungo's.

Almost unconsciously, his fingers brushed the window frame, feeling the latch, working it until it came free. As he pushed it open he gasped; the smell of the night wind, the taste of it in his throat, was pleasure second only to that of feeding, and he became dizzy as he breathed in deeply, relishing in the taste, the smell, the feel.

Only when he had one leg out of the window, and his hands on the ledge did he realise that he had been planning on jumping out, such was his longing for the night. Fighting the impulse, he withdrew into his dormitory and shut the window as quietly as his shaking hands would allow before hurrying silently to his bed and dressing in black jeans, a muggle t-shirt and an ordinary jumper , pulling on socks and shoes and drawing a cloak around his shoulders. Then he hurried downstairs, and out of the portrait hole.

As soon as he stepped outside, he felt too dressed, too restricted. He wanted to be one with the night, the dark sky, the cold wind and the pale moon so he wrenched the cloak from his shoulders and allowed it to fall to the floor, breathing in and holding the sweet taste of the wind in his mouth for many seconds before releasing it, letting it escape and blow away before sucking in again.

How long he stood there, breathing deeply, he did not know, but he enjoyed every second of it and would never have stopped if his jumper hadn't began to scratch at him, seeming to grab him tighter and tighter, imprisoning his within it until he managed to struggle out of it. He flung it far from his person and stood on the steps in his t-shirt, the wind making his hair stand on end, his eyes bright as they reflected the moon that had witnessed his Creation.

He walked slowly, gracefully down the steps before stopping and pulling off his shoes and socks so he stood in his bare feet, the grass deliciously soft and cool, inviting beneath his feet. He laughed joyfully and began to run towards the lake he could see by the reflected white light.

The water rose beneath his feet, clinging to his trousers and t-shirt as though summoned, soaking him to the bone but the boy didn't mind, in fact he loved it; he had never had so much fun before, never felt such enjoyment and peace, such belonging as he did during this night. He tore his shirt from his chest and dropped it into the water, standing bare-chested in the wind for a second before turning and running, back towards the dark shape that was the castle he called home, but he veered right and continued running, past the greenhouses and the Quidditch Pitch until he dropped to the ground and rolled along the grass, burying his face in its silkiness, losing himself in the scent that tantalised his nostrils.

He rolled onto his back and stared up at the moon, the stars, and smiled. Nothing could possibly compare to this, nothing could ever be enjoyed so much, and so he relished in the freedom as his lay there, the wind caressing his marble chest, tugging gently at the black locks of hair, and he smiled.

He stayed out until the first rays of sunlight were stealing the darkness Sirius so loved and beginning to irritate his skin and sting his eyes. He pretended to wake up the next morning with his fellow Marauders, and tried hard to act as though he was tired, but he couldn't smother the grins that kept appearing whenever he remembered his first night outside of walls.

"Why are you so happy?" James asked, glaring at Sirius through bleary eyes as he poured pumpkin juice over his pancakes and syrup into his goblet. "Do you realise we have Transfiguration first thing?"

He was staring at his timetable which had just been handed to him by a second year, reading through the day's lessons. "Then we've got Charms, then after break it's Potions and after lunch it's Defence Against the Dark Arts. How is that funny, pray tell?" he asked dryly, cutting into his pancake and shoving it into his mouth. He spat it out with a cry of disgust and groped for his goblet, his face screwed into a grimace at the taste of the juice-and-pancake concoction he had just served himself. He sipped some of the syrup in an effort to rid himself of the taste but instead nearly choked on the sweetness that was now coating his throat.

"What the hell is going on?" he choked, grabbing Remus's goblet and drinking deeply.

"Hey!" said Remus indignantly, "I was planning on drinking that!"

James shrugged. "But you don't mind sharing with me do you Moony?" he asked, clapping the lycanthrope on the shoulder.

"Sharing, no, I don't mind at all. Having my drink stolen on the other hand-"

"Good man, Moony," James interrupted, dropping the empty goblet onto the table. "Sirius, you're still not eating…are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine," said Sirius airily, waving his hand and catching Remus on the nose.

Remus wrinkled his nose up, crossing his eyes slightly to make sure it was still intact before turning to Sirius. "That was my nose," he said in mock annoyance.

"Really?" Sirius asked boredly, reaching over and flicking Remus on the nose. "And that was too I suppose?"

"Yes! It was!" Remus rubbed his nose affectionately; he was rather fond of it to be honest and was not appreciative of this treatment of the poor thing.

"Honestly, Sirius, are you actually feeling okay?"

"Yes," Remus chipped in. "Actually I haven't seen you eat at all this term," he said, glaring at him pointedly.

Sirius's eyes widened then narrowed into a glare. "Remus," he said slowly.

"Mmmhmm?" Remus mumbled, trying to look innocent.

"You know how your nose is not scarred, cut or damaged in any way?" Sirius continued.

"Yes," said Remus proudly, crossing his eyes at it again, not realising what Sirius was getting to. "You're right, you know. It's just perfect." He smiled blissfully.

"Would you like me to fix it on backwards for you?" Sirius asked with the airs of a man offering to escort a lady back to her taxi.

Remus glared at him. "You leave my nose out of this," he warned.

"Guys?" James asked, prodding Sirius on the arm. "It's time to leave." He was looking at Sirius worriedly, but Sirius smiled charmingly, careful not to let his teeth show, not wishing to alarm James with the pointed fangs he now had for incisors.

"Cool," he said, standing and subtlety yanking Remus's hair.

"Ouch!" Remus cried, standing as well and rubbing his now sore head.

"No more helpful hints Moony," Sirius hissed under his breath, glaring at Remus furiously as James walked ahead.

"Then why don't you tell him?" Remus asked, not willing to give up.

"We've been through this," Sirius replied through gritted teeth. "And I told you I'm not going to." He sped up so he wouldn't have to hear Remus's response and engaged James in a conversation about Quidditch.

Transfiguration passed in a haze of fear-inspiring from McGonagall about the O.W.L.s, something Sirius had managed to conveniently forget for several weeks. Sirius had managed to grab a seat between Peter and James, so didn't have to hear Remus nattering in his ear, but he did have to endure the evil glares that Remus had apparently perfected over the summer. Now they not only made Sirius feel guilty, but they made him nervous as well. As it was, Remus had spent countless hours in front of a mirror one day, trying out different glares and glowers until he found the one that fit the best.

Sirius trudged to Charms, talking to James about the exams later that year but not paying attention to what exactly he was saying. When they arrived at the classroom, Sirius sat at the edge of the table, with James on one side of him and the wall on the other and sat brooding over last night, wondering if the feeling of euphoria would return if he did it again because the mere thought of that happiness not existing was panicking him.

"Sirius?" James hissed, poking him.

"Huh?" Sirius mumbled intelligently, blinking a little to clear his head.

"Did you even hear what I just said?" James asked, frowning at his friend.

Sirius cast his mind back. "Was it about a really hot blonde?" he asked.

"Er…no."

"Well that's why then, isn't it?" Sirius joked.

James smiled, satisfied that Sirius was listening to him, before launching into a rant about how he would get Lily this year.

The short break between lessons passed uneventfully and Peter only melted one cauldron in Potions, which was definitely a record.

"I reckon you're getting better Pete, seriously," James was saying as they headed to lunch.

"Yeah?" Peter asked moodily, fiddling with the singed sleeve of his robes.

Remus nodded. "I agree with Prongsie; you've just got to remember to read instructions carefully."

Sirius, who had been fighting the urge to bite his hand and drink, hurriedly excused himself and headed to the Hospital Wing, his eyes coal black.

He pushed through the doors and, without hesitation, opened the doors to a small cupboard that was kept stocked with blood. He drank hurriedly, grimacing a little at the cold as it washed down his throat. He was mentally kicking himself for forgetting the bag of blood bottles upon which Dumbledore had placed a charm to keep the blood inside warm. They were next to his bed, still in the backpack, and he hurried to collect it before the next lesson began.

When the bell rang for the end of the lunch, the Marauders made their way to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom to find their new professor had not yet arrived.

"Wonder who he is," James said, leaning against the wall and dropping his bag by his feet.

"Was he at the Feast?" Sirius asked, sliding down the wall and closing his eyes; cold blood wasn't very good for the stomach.

"I don't think so," James replied, glancing at Remus who shook his head.

Sirius shrugged. "We'll just have to see then," he said, opening his eyes and looking up and down the corridor. "I bet he's a trainee or something."

Remus shrugged, also looking down the corridor. "Could be."

At that moment loud, intimidating footsteps could be heard and the entire class fell silent. Sirius turned his eyes to the man who would make his next year hell and took in his appearance. He was tall, towering over the students in a threatening demeanour, with longish black hair that fell messily over his face but did not cover his bright blue eyes that searched the class's faces and they were sure they would be able to hide nothing from him. Along his cheek was a jagged scar that snaked from just under his right eye to the corner of his mouth. Sirius hated him immediately and let out an automatic hiss of disquiet when the man reached them.

"In," he said, pointing to the door. His voice was gravely and hard, fierce and carried a hint of a warning.

Sirius sat at a random desk at the back, glaring at the Professor so hard it was a surprise the man could not feel it. His eyes were darkening for some unknown reason, and he felt an unexplainable anger course through him. He bit down on his lip in an effort to control himself and felt blood slip down his chin. A handkerchief appeared as if from nowhere but Sirius ignored it and licked the blood away before finally wrenching his gaze from the man at the front and turning to see who was seated beside him. His heart sank; it was Remus's smiling face next to him, not James's as he had hoped.

"Hey Sirius," he said in a whisper, pocketing the hanky and taking out a quill, parchment and ink. "Where did you go at lunch? We missed you."

"You know exactly where I was at lunch," Sirius replied through gritted teeth, slamming his textbook down onto his desk and glaring at the professor who was scrawling his name onto the board in a messy hand.

"Professor Simaltis," he announced, drawing a thick line beneath the name and tossing the chalk onto the desk.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Pride," he sneered.

Remus glanced at him. "Look who's talking," he murmured. "Calm down will you?"  
Sirius turned his gaze upon Remus who met it unflinchingly. "Can you not feel it?" he hissed.

"Of course I can," Remus replied calmly, holding the furious stare, "but I've learned to ignore it; usually it means nothing."

"Boys at the back, quiet!" Simaltis called from the front.

Sirius turned to see the professor sitting on top of his desk, facing the class with his hands clasped in his lap. His eyes were narrowed at the two supernaturals who had lapsed into silence.

"Sorry Sir," said Remus quickly. "It won't happen again."

"I hope not," Simaltis said. He stood and began pacing at the front of the room. "I have come here to teach in order to recover from a recent attack," he told the class.

Sirius sniggered. "I hope it hurt," he said in a rather carrying whisper.

"What was that, Mr…Black?" he asked dangerously, glancing at the register.

Sirius glanced at Remus who gave him a you-asked-for-it look. "I said, I hope it didn't hurt," said Sirius innocently.

"As a matter of fact it was extremely painful, but we needn't go into details," he replied, looking proud of himself.

"Tell us Sir," someone at the front said loudly.

Simaltis smirked; he had obviously been hoping someone would say that. "Well, it was a werewolf attack," he revealed, staring heroically around the class. Remus paled significantly and swayed in his seat. Sirius reached out and steadied him, giving him a reassuring look. Remus attempted to smile but he looked as though he was about to throw up.

"Why were you with a werewolf?" someone asked.

"I had had a tip-off that there was a vampire clan-"

"Coven," Sirius corrected unconsciously beneath his breath.

"Excuse me Mr Black?"

"I said, 'coven'. It's a coven, not a clan," Sirius said, apparently forgetting his hate of covens and vampires.

"Somehow, Mr Black, I think I am more informed on the matter," Simaltis replied, looking smug.

Sirius snorted but was ignored. "As I was saying," Simaltis continued, "I had been tipped off that a vampire clan was hiding in an abandoned house so I went to exterminate but found that actually a werewolf was residing there. Most fortunately it was a full moon and I was able to carry out the kill without being questioned, however I was injured. Hence I am here," he finished, looking at his students and smiling cruelly.

Next to Sirius Remus was trembling but Sirius hadn't noticed; he was concentrating on something the professor had said.

"When you say exterminate…" he said loudly, allowing the question to hang in the air.

"Oh, I apologise Mr Black, is my vocabulary too sophisticated for you? Allow me to reiterate. Exterminate means to kill, destroy, eliminate murder, decimate or massacre. Take your pick."

Sirius scowled. "I know what exterminate means," he snapped. "I meant why are you killing vampires?"

"Why, Mr Black, I am paid to kill such filth; I am a Vampire Hunter."

At this Sirius paled to an almost transparent colour and his heart, which had slowed considerably over the past few weeks, increased to an almost normal rate. His hands shook violently and he clenched them into fists; he refused to show weakness.

"Anyway, as I am sufficiently informed on the subject of dark creatures, they are what we shall be covering for the bulk of this year," Simaltis told them but Sirius didn't hear any of it; he was suddenly aware of the danger he was in whilst in the same room as this man, and Remus as well.

"We shall have a vote on whether the class wants to study vampires or werewolves first," he said, sitting on the desk again. "Hands up for werewolves."

Sirius's hand shot into the air with the speed of a bullet. Remus glared at him accusingly.

"Sorry," Sirius whispered apologetically as the professor counted the students.

"And hands for vampires."

About half the class put their hands up this time. Remus hesitated before slowly raising his hand. Sirius had known what Remus's vote would be but it hurt unexpectantly. Did Remus not realise how important it was to him that his condition remain a secret from James?

"The verdict: vampires. By one vote," said Simaltis. Sirius turned to glare angrily at Remus.

"This is your fault," he hissed furiously as Simaltis turned to write something on the board.

"How is it my fault?" Remus asked indignantly.

"Your vote is the one that swayed the overall decision," Sirius replied, turning to look at what the professor had written on the board. His mouth dropped.

"How to recognise a vampire," Simaltis read. "Could everyone please take out parchment and quills and copy this down."


	6. The First Full Moon

**The First Full Moon**

"Can you believe his nerve?" Sirius asked furiously once the bell signalling the end of lessons had rand and the Marauders were out of earshot of the classroom.

"I thought he was okay actually," said Peter as the four of them made their way to Gryffindor tower to drop off their bags.

"Yeah, I thought he was really cool. A Vampire Hunter!" James exclaimed, pounding up the marble stairs.

Sirius scowled. "Well, maybe Vampire Hunters aren't such good things," he muttered.

"Why not? They rid us of that vermin don't they?" James asked, giving Sirius an odd look.

Sirius bit his lip as an unexpected pain shot through him, willing himself not to cry; it hurt to have his best friend call him vermin.

"Can you remember all those characteristics?" Peter asked. "The ones we're supposed to memorise?"

"Yeah," James replied confidently. "Well, some anyway. There were the fangs and the blood…"

"Duh," said Remus, rolling his eyes. "And the eye colour."

"Oh yeah, and the pale skin," Peter added.

"And they don't sleep," James contributed.

"Well, they do sometimes," said Remus.

"Do their hearts beat?" Peter asked.

"Very slowly," Remus replied. "That's why they're so cold."

"And they like the dark," said James. "They have good night vision."

"Yeah, and there was something else," said Peter, frowning as he tried to remember.

"They don't age," said Sirius quietly.

Remus shot Sirius a sidelong glance that his friend defiantly avoided. "Maybe that's not such a bad thing," he said, trying to be comforting.

Sirius gave a hollow laugh. "How is that not a bad thing?" he asked.

Remus shrugged, looking helpless. "Well-" he began.

"They don't deserve to age," James said hatefully, "They kill innocents."

Sirius closed his eyes and willed himself to keep collected. "Who says we kill innocents?" he asked dangerously.

"Well, you always here about it in the Prophet and people are always going on about vampires," James said, missing Sirius's slip of tongue. "And they say that Voldemort guy is trying to recruit them as well."

Sirius, whose heart was beating at a human's normal rate after his slip, didn't reply and merely glared furiously at the floor. It was an odd feeling, having your heart beat. Sirius wasn't sure how he had failed to notice it before he had turned. They reached the portrait hole, gave the password and dumped their bags before starting back towards the Great Hall for tea when Sirius felt thirst gnawing at his insides.

"Guys, I've got to…go to the bathroom a minute. I'll catch up, okay?" Without waiting for an answer he turned on his heel and made his way back to Gryffindor tower and his bag of blood. He satisfied the thirst with one of his bottles and stuck a blood lolly into his pocket as a just-in-case. Then he went downstairs to find the Marauders in the Great Hall. They had all loaded their plates with completely different foods.

James was eating mashed potatoes, ham, roast beef, chips, carrots, chicken, peas, rice and meatballs, with a goblet of pumpkin juice sitting on his right. He was laughing at something Remus had said as Sirius sat down. Glancing at Peter's plate, Sirius saw a selection of fish with rice and he tried to smother a smile; Peter believed solidly that eating fish would make him smarter. On Sirius's left Remus's plate had on it a slice of rare steak, ham, chicken, lamb and beef with a tiny portion of rice.

"Full moon looming?" he asked quietly, nodding to Remus's meal.

"Four days," he replied, chewing a piece of lamb and smiling nervously.

Sirius wanted to pat him on the shoulder but couldn't bring himself to touch a werewolf and so instead he loaded stew onto his plate, wondering how he was going to get rid of it.

James grinned, his teeth green from the peas he had recently devoured. "Eating again?" he asked.

Sirius shrugged. "Sure," he said, giving his food an uncertain glance.

He spread his napkin out on his lap and hoped it would catch the stew. He picked up a forkful and tipped it into his lap, pretending as he did so to stuff it into his mouth. Unfortunately, when he put the empty fork into his mouth some of the food was still lurking on the prongs. As the substance touched his tongue Sirius felt himself go cold, then hot before he retched violently, dropping his fork onto the floor.

"Are you alright?" asked James concernedly, peering at Sirius from over the table.

"I'm fine," said Sirius a little shakily, trying not to swallow. "I didn't actually throw up."

"Lucky really because if you had it would've been blood that came up," Remus muttered out of the corner of his mouth. "Might I suggest a Vanishing spell next time?"

Sirius's eyes lit up. "I knew that," he muttered, promptly Vanishing his next forkful.

The meal passed uneventfully, save for James choking on a pea, and the boys were soon sitting in the Common Room, tired (with the exception of Sirius) and waiting for their homework to be done so they disappear up to their dormitory.

When the night finally did arrive it brought with it sleep for James, Peter and Remus, and comfort for Sirius who hadn't realised he had been waiting for it to grow dark. His eyes worked brilliantly in the dark; he could see better than he could in the day, so he had no trouble navigating the dormitory on the way out. He didn't meet anyone in the corridors either, and he found the front doors unlocked again so he spent his second night outside, walking around the school, taking in the sights, smells and feel of the grounds though he didn't dare venture into the forest yet, so steered clear of the dark mass of trees that bordered the school.

The next four days passed quickly, though in a blur of terror for Remus who was dreading Friday evening when the sun went down. The others were all looking forward to it, as they usually did, and couldn't wait for Friday lessons to finish.

Sirius smiled at his friend as they walked out of Transfiguration, their last lesson. "It'll be fine, we'll all be there. You'll be safe."

"It's not me I'm worried about," Remus said quietly, his stomach knotting repeatedly. His face was pale and drawn, and there were bruises beneath his eyes where he hadn't slept last night. Instead he and Sirius had sat up talking for the hours of darkness which, which meant that although it had been more fun than a silent night for Remus, Sirius was irritable after missing out on the calming effects the night had on him when he was outside.

"Well, don't worry about us, or anyone else, because we can control you," said James, slinging his arm around Remus's shoulder. Remus winced at the contact on his sore bones but smiled nonetheless.

"I guess," he said, though he didn't believe that everything would be alright, not this time. He knew, somehow, that tonight something would go wrong.

"We'll be there," Peter pointed out. "And nothing's ever happened before."

"That doesn't mean nothing will ever happen," Remus countered. "Maybe if you guys didn't come out tonight, it would-"

"Don't be stupid," James cut across him. "We're your best friends, we're coming with you and everyone will be safe, just like always."

Remus bit his lip but didn't reply; he still couldn't shake off the feeling that something bad was going to happen.

Later that night Remus made his slow, painful journey down to the hospital wing alone, as he always did. Fear and anxiety were heavy in his stomach, weighing down like bricks and slowing his pace as tears welled in his eyes. He couldn't do this; it was too painful, too dangerous and it wasn't fair. Why him? What exactly had he done to deserve such a curse? One that meant he would be a monster, looked down on and shunted to the side for his whole life, a creature that wizarding parents warned their children of, a beast that Muggle parents frightened their children of.

He leaned heavily against a wall and slid down it, holding his head in his hands with his knees curled up to his chest. He began to rock back and forth as tears wet his cheeks and sobs racked his body. Why? That was the one thing he would never understand, the one concept he would never grasp. Why? Why had this happened? What had he done? He hated it, the beast within him, and he hated himself for carrying it. He hated the fact that he had to put on a brave face, hated that his friends took it for granted that he had accepted what he was, hated that he had no choice but to accept that he was a monster and he always would be. But the hate was merely sorrow in the boy's body as he sobbed against his hands for the first time in five years, was merely anguish as he rocked backwards and forwards against the wall behind him and was merely fear as he felt the ache in his bones, the pull of the moon and the itch beneath his skin.

But the sorrow soon turned to righteous anger and Remus stood, his tear stained face pale in the light of the setting sun, with his fists clenched and his jaw tight. He didn't deserve this, no one did. But he had to deal with it. He had to cope with being a monster, had to cope with unbearable pain every month without fail. He had to live with the truth that he could easily kill someone, face the fact that he could never marry, or have children, would never be able to hold down a job. And it was righteous anger that made him pummel the walls with his fists, that made him bite down so hard on his lips he drew blood, that made him yell so hard his throat felt as though it had ripped.

But no one could hear him, and no one ever would for Remus was a quiet boy and was careful not to let the true beast inside of him show.

Somehow managing to harness the anger he shut it away as he always did, and glanced out of a window, terrified of how much time he had wasted, and for a good reason for the sun was low in the sky, near to disappearing altogether. He guessed his time left to be about four minutes.

"How long do you think we should wait?" James asked, lounging in an armchair in the Gryffindor Common Room.

"I think we should leave now," said Sirius, glancing around. "It's fairly empty."

James nodded and departed to get his Invisibility Cloak whilst Sirius and Peter waited on the stairs for him.

"Do you think something will go wrong tonight?" Peter asked nervously.

"No," said Sirius certainly.

"But Remus was saying-"

"He didn't know what he was saying," Sirius interrupted. "It doesn't matter."

Peter still looked nervous though, and Sirius gave up on him as James came pounding down the stairs carrying the Cloak over one arm. They all ducked under it and made their way through the Common Room, waiting by the Portrait Hole for somebody to come in.

They began to get nervous however when several minutes passed and nobody walked in.

James signalled to them under the Cloak that they should make their way back to the stairs so they crossed the Common Room once again before pulling the cloak off. Sirius glanced over his shoulder as they reached the stairs.

"I don't believe it," he hissed furiously as the Portrait opened and a Second Year walked in.

James shrugged. "Sirius, you go and open the Portrait, then wait for us to come through" he instructed, pulling the Cloak back over himself and Peter.

Sirius nodded and made his way across the Common Room for the third time, stopping as he did so to pick up his bag which he had slung into a corner.

"Library," he explained in answer to Lily's questioning look. "That essay for Defence Against the Dark Arts."

She nodded and went back to her homework, apparently satisfied and Sirius let out a breath of relief. He opened the door to the Common Room and stepped outside, waiting for his friends to appear.

"Why did you get your bag?" James asked, looking annoyed. "That'll just weigh you down. It wasn't part of the plan."

"What plan?" Sirius snorted before opening the bag to reveal several bottles of potions, various lengths of bandages and a book called Quick Tips For Minor Injuries. "Just in case," he said.

James smiled a little. "Remus was worrying you too, huh?"

Sirius nodded. "A little," he admitted, grinning embarrassedly.

Peter frowned. "You said there was nothing to worry about," he said accusingly.

"Actually, what I said was 'It doesn't matter', I never said don't worry."

"Anyway, we should probably hurry; Remus will transform soon," James cut in, throwing the cloak over the three of them and leading the way through the maze of corridors and staircases that was Hogwarts.

They were soon outside the Willow, visible and James and Peter slightly hot from the heat beneath the Cloak. Sirius's own body was still as cold as steel and his cheeks did not hold the same flush as his friend's did but he felt content nonetheless; he normally enjoyed the full moon, and he didn't even mind the minor injuries they would usually sustain afterwards.

Peter transformed into Wormtail and disappeared into the whirling mass of living branches to press the knot on the trunk. As soon as the tree was still, Sirius and James slipped into the tunnel and began the hunched journey to the shack where Remus would be sitting, waiting anxiously for the moon to rise.

They reached the locked door after seemingly hours of walking through the confined space that Sirius found he loved too much for comfort and heard the faint sounds of somebody pacing nervously back and forth.

"He's here, and human," said James with his ear to the door.

"Duh," said Sirius who could hear the footsteps as clearly as if Remus was in the room with them wearing cement boots. He tapped his wand against the door and stepped into the room as it opened. The smell of werewolf that he had had to endure all week was stronger in here, almost enough to make him turn and walk away but he carried on, wrinkling up his nose slightly.

"Remus?" James called softly. "We're here, don't worry anymore."

A stifled sob was heard from upstairs, then a quiet reply of "Okay", then silence and the boys knew Remus had sat down to wait for the moon, staring out of the window at the darkening sky feeling scared and alone.

"Was he crying?" Peter asked, looking slightly confused.

Sirius frowned. "I think so," he said worriedly, glancing at James who confirmed it with a nod.

All three of them drew in a sharp intake of breath as shrieks could be heard from upstairs, as well as the thumps and bangs of a boy thrashing in pain as he turned into a monster.

"Transform," James ordered harshly. "Now."

Peter immediately shrank into his rat form, and James was replaced with Prongs. Sirius glanced around and shoved his bag into a cupboard, sealing it with magic before shoving his wand up his sleeve. Then he emptied his mind and willed his body to morph into Padfoot, waiting for the tingling feeling that accompanied the transformation, but it didn't come. The screams had stopped and a howling had begun as well as heavy paw steps across the ceiling, and Sirius began to panic.

James suddenly appeared before him as the upstairs door crashed open. "What the hell are you doing?" he yelled, glancing fearfully at the door. "Transform!"

Sirius looked about him helplessly and tried again but his body wouldn't obey. "I can't," he whispered.

"What do you mean?" James asked, looking terrified.

"I can't," Sirius repeated. Moony could be heard coming down the stairs at a breakneck speed and Sirius knew the werewolf could smell a vampire. "Transform, James."

"I'm not leaving you," James declared.

"Transform!" Sirius yelled as the door slammed open to reveal the werewolf that Remus was trapped inside. An unexpected stench hit Sirius with the force of a bullet and he reeled backwards slightly, choking on the thick smell. Moony's large teeth glinted, deadly sharp, in the moonlight that was filtering in through the window and his dark fur was matted and shaggy. The yellow eyes were fixed upon Sirius, whose heart had begun to beat steadily with fear for James but he needn't have worried for instead of James standing beside him, Sirius found that it was a proud brown stag. He let out a small breath of relief but it was short-lived as Prongs suddenly charged at the werewolf, antlers lowered.

"James, no!" Sirius screamed, diving forwards but it was too late; Moony had swatted the stag about the head and the animal fell to the floor, unconscious and slowly regaining human form.

In desperation, Sirius took out his wand but the wolf charged him, knocking him back into the wooden door and slamming it closed. Sirius heard the magically automatic lock click and knew he was in trouble.

He slid down the wall, dazed and breathless as the wolf skidded around, about to attack again. As Moony approached, fangs bared, Sirius hissed furiously and rolled away but too slowly, for one of the wolf's claws tore at his shoulder, spilling precious blood. He gasped in pain but scrambled to his feet, realising with dread that he had largely under – estimated his friend's fighting ability. He threw a glance towards James who was now completely human but Moony seemed not to have noticed, such was his instinct to attack Sirius.

"Moony!" he yelled, edging slowly towards his wand which had been dropped in the first attack. "Moony, don't! You know me!"

But the wolf either didn't understand him or was just refusing to acknowledge the yells. He howled angrily at the moon which could be seen through a gap between the planks over the boarded up windows and dived at Sirius who was slammed backwards into the wall again. He screamed as pain flared down his back and along his limbs and the wolf let go, leaving Sirius to crumple on the floor.

Clutching the wall for support, Sirius dragged himself laboriously to his feet, wincing as he did so but unwilling to give up; his own instinct was winning the internal battle that was raging inside him: fight back and possibly hurt his friend or do nothing and possibly die.

He lunged at the wolf, fangs bared, fingers hooked into claws and slashed at Moony's face, leaving three diagonal cuts across his face which began to bleed heavily. The reek of actual werewolf blood froze him long enough for Moony to smack him backwards again, and he only managed to come back to himself when he saw Moony approaching him, looking about ready to kill.

Sirius slipped into a defensive crouch, identical to the one he had adopted whilst fighting Remus, and stared the wolf in the eye, willing him to come closer.

Moony charged at Sirius with all of his weight and speed but Sirius managed to leap out of the way and claw at Moony's neck, drawing more blood. With a roar of anger, Moony swerved unexpectantly and swiped at Sirius's stomach with his sharp claws. Sirius felt shockingly dizzy and, looking down, he saw that the front of his white shirt was already drenched in blood. Through the three tears in his shirt he could see the deep cuts his friend had made.

Moony howled in delight at the injury he had dealt and ran to attack again, catching Sirius about the head as he had James but Sirius stayed fully conscious, just in pain, weak and tired. He had lost a lot of blood and his stomach was aching with thirst but somehow he managed to ignore it whilst he sprung for a new attack. He hammered Moony on the head with his fists, hoping to at least daze him but the wolf didn't even notice he had been hit. Instead he snapped at the vampire, teeth just missing Sirius's leg which he reached out to scratch at anyway, making a long cut down Sirius's calf.

With a scream Sirius fell to the floor, tears of blood obscuring his face, and he curled into a ball, hoping for a quick death but the Marauder inside of him ordered him to get back up and start fighting; a Marauder doesn't give up. Sirius looked up at James, his best friend and brother and he swore to himself that he would protect him, even if it meant fighting Moony until sunrise.

He rolled over slowly, aware of Moony standing directly behind him. He kicked up at the wolf's stomach which distracted him long enough to allow Sirius to get up and back away.

"Moony! Stop this!" he screeched, backing away slowly, to the opposite end of the room to James. The wolf followed him, as Sirius had known he would, and pounced, going for Sirius's neck, but the vampire was ready and waiting for it and as soon as Moony was airborne Sirius ran to the door and tore upstairs, hoping to draw him into a complete different room to the unconscious James. He had no idea where Peter had gone but he hoped dearly it was for help. He could hear the thumps of a large wolf pounding up a flight of stairs and went to the window, wondering if he could wrench the boards away but then he remembered Hogsmead and the people who lived there and he knew it was too dangerous. He turned just as the door burst open and Moony charged in, straight at Sirius who was unprepared for such a quick attack and crumpled beneath the claws that were raining down upon his chest, face, arms and legs.

Sirius managed to free one of his trapped hands and thump the wolf in the chest hard enough to knock his breath away. The wolf stumbled backwards and Sirius rolled, trying and failing to get up. He could hear something downstairs and saw Moony's ears prick.

"No!" he yelled as the wolf made towards the door. "I'm still fighting!"

Forcing his painful body to move with determination Sirius hadn't known he possessed, he flew at Moony with astonishing speed and jumped onto his back. Moony gave a furious roar and tried to swat him away but Sirius clung to the matted fur and allowed his instincts to take over. Lowering his head to the wolf's neck, Sirius bared his fangs to bite the skin beneath the heavy fur. As his teeth penetrated the skin, a foul, sickening liquid spilled over his lips and Sirius leapt backwards, retching and choking, spitting the blood out.

Moony turned, furious at being attacked and head butted Sirius in the stomach. As Sirius flailed backwards, Moony jerked one limb in Sirius's direction and cut a long, jagged line down his back just as the sounds downstairs became a petrified yelling and shouting.

"James…" Sirius mumbled as he fell, slowly sinking into blackness. He crumpled onto the floor of the shack as the door to the room burst open and a stag ran in, bleeding from the head, but standing and ready to fight.

Sirius was conscious enough to register terror as he saw James head for Moony alone but was too weak to open his mouth and so sunk into the inviting blackness and was dead to the world.


	7. The High Vampire

**The High Vampire**

Sirius let out a gasp and opened his eyes, but they burned with an unexpected pain and he hurriedly closed them again.

"Sirius!"

The voice pounded through his skull, and he groaned as his head ached as though it had been wrung out and left in the sun.

"Ssh Mr Potter!" another voice hissed. "Is it the light?"

Sirius opened his mouth to reply but his throat felt starched and he found he was unable to speak. He nodded his head slowly, trying not to make it hurt anymore but it didn't seem to help at all; a flare of pain shot through his body at the movement and he gasped.

There was a swish and then a sudden darkness and Sirius knew it was safe for him to open his eyes. He looked around as best he could without moving his head and thought he recognised the room somehow though he wasn't sure how. It was white, very white, and smelt clean, but it wasn't the Hospital Wing. He closed his eyes again.

"There now Mr Potter, you can go now; he's awake. You know he's safe now," the voice said quietly and Sirius realised that he also recognised that.

"I'm not leaving him," James declared defiantly.

"Mr Potter, you promised you would leave as soon as he woke."

"Can I at least speak to him?" James asked pleadingly.

"Absolutely not; Mr Black is not in the right condition for visitors, in case you hadn't noticed, now I must insist that you leave," the voice said firmly.

"Fine," said James begrudgingly. "Sirius, I know you can hear me, I just want you to know that we're all waiting for you to come back, and we really miss you. Just get better, okay?"

Sirius took in a breath for courage and nodded his head, trying his utmost not to scream as his body grinded in pain. He heard the sound of doors closing and footsteps coming towards him.

"Thank the Lord he's gone," said the voice, sounding relieved. "I'm sorry it's so painful Sirius but I couldn't give you what you needed whilst he was here because he doesn't know apparently."

And Sirius finally realised where he was, and who the voice belonged to. He smiled a little as the smell of blood reached his nostrils and he drank deeply, feeling the pain in him wash away as the cuts began to heal.

He opened his eyes again and looked up at the man who was grinning down at him. "Hello Healer Compton," he said quietly, glad that his throat was wet again.

"Oh, so you can speak," the Healer said, smiling as he began checking Sirius's injuries. "I don't know what you thought you were doing, running around with a werewolf." Sirius could hear the chiding in his voice and suppressed a smile.

"At least you got to see me again," he replied. "Can I sit up?"

"Sure," Compton said, stepping back. "You're healing much faster now," he said, sounding pleased.

Sirius grinned. "That's because I'm good at what I do," he said cockily.

"What, fight with wolves?" Compton asked, laughing as he walked away.

Sirius smiled, contented, as he sat up slowly and rested against the pillows. He looked at his arms and saw faint scars across them, and on his legs. Glancing down he saw a more defined scar across his chest and he knew there would also be one on his back. He raised an eyebrow.

"Note to self: werewolves cause scarring," he muttered under his breath. "Another note to self: scratch the first; the scars are macho."

Healer Compton walked in carrying three large goblets full of warm blood that Sirius drained in a matter of seconds.

"Better?" he asked as Sirius wiped his mouth.

"Much," Sirius replied. "Can I leave now?"

"We would feel better if you stayed here for a few nights, just to check that everything's okay," Compton said.

"But everything is okay," Sirius said.

"How can you be sure?" Compton asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Well, because it's me," Sirius replied, frowning.

"Either way, you're to stay in here for a few days, if only to trick Mr Potter into thinking that you heal at the rate of a normal human," Compton said.

Sirius rolled his eyes but didn't complain. "So what happened?" he asked.

Compton looked confused. "When?"

"Well, I remember the fight, vaguely, but then I don't know what happened."

"Well, from what I gather, your annoying friend Mr Potter saved your life," Compton said casually.

"James? Oh god, was he hurt?" Sirius asked worriedly.

"Fortunately he only sustained a minor blow to the head and a few scratches, all things your Matron was able to fix," Compton assured him.

"So James came and found me?" Sirius asked.

"And held the werewolf off until daybreak from what I hear," the Healer said. "Now, rest. You need to heal."

Two days later Sirius was in the Hospital Wing of Hogwarts with Healer Compton being checked over one last time before going back to lessons and homework.

"Everything seems fine," Compton said brightly, straightening up and grinning at Sirius.

"I told you; I'm good at what I do," said Sirius cockily, sliding off the bed. "Thanks," he added sincerely. "You helped…a lot."

"It's my job. Now, go away before I have to say goodbye again," said the Healer, shooing him away. "And don't get into any more fights."

Sirius grinned. "Me?" he asked innocently, before turning and walking away, back to his friends who he knew would be in the Common Room. They didn't know he was due back today as he had come early so he was looking forward to surprising them.

It was a slight let-down however when he found that none of his fellow Marauders were in the Common Room. Lily was, however, and she jumped up to greet him when he walked in.

"Sirius!" she said jovially, hugging him. "You're okay!"

"Kinda," Sirius replied, spreading his hands and grinning at her. He got along well with Lily, though they couldn't really act friendly so much when James was around as he became extremely jealous when they merely greeted each other.

"I was so worried," she said, looking him up and down, her eyes lingering oh the scars on Sirius hands and the faint one on his neck. "What happened?"

"Oh, just the normal, you know," he replied nervously, avoiding the question.

She frowned at him but let it drop. "Remus, Peter and Potter are in the library," she said.

"Thanks," said Sirius, smiling at her and instantly regretting it as he remembered his fangs. The smile faltered and he turned and left hurriedly, trying not to run; he was sure her eyes had flickered to his teeth.

He burst into the library more quickly than he had intended to and tripped, spinning into a bookcase before steadying himself and glancing around, hoping no one had seen. Then he walked over to the Marauder's corner, whistling innocently.

"No, that's not big enough," James was saying. "It needs to be really big, massive in fact; we haven't done anything yet."

"Why don't you set a new target? See how long you can go without getting detention."

"Now Moony, I'm surprised. Even you couldn't be so stupid as to actually suggest that," Sirius said, steeping out from behind a bookcase and dropping into a chair.

There were two yells of 'Padfoot' and one insulted 'hey'.

"Why didn't you tell us you were back?" James asked, looking annoyed. He thumped Sirius hard on the shoulder and then pulled him into a hug.

"What was that for?" Sirius asked indignantly, rubbing his shoulder and pulling away, disturbed at how strong the scent of James's blood was in his nostrils.

"Do you know how worried I was?" he asked furiously, glaring at his friend. "What the hell did you think you were doing? Why didn't you transform, you know Moony's dangerous!"

"Ssh," Remus hissed, terrified as he looked around for eavesdroppers. "Not so loud James, you moron."

"Well he was stupid," James said as though this resolved everything. "I  
It's a wonder he wasn't bitten."

Remus flinched involuntarily but nobody noticed.

"So, what has to be big?" Sirius asked, hoping to steer the conversation away from himself.

"Our first prank of the year," James replied, gesturing at the books in front of him. "But we don't have many ideas yet."

"How about rain?" Sirius asked.

James looked out of the window at the bright sunshine. "I think you're losing it mate," he said, glancing at Sirius worriedly.

"No, I mean actual rain – why don't we make it rain in the Great Hall?"

James blinked. "That's brilliant!" he said happily. "Why didn't I think of that?"

"You lack the brain capacity," Sirius smirked. "Is it possible Moony?"

Remus glanced at the ceiling, his expression thoughtful. "I think so," he said eventually. "But it will take a lot of magic."

Sirius grinned. "This settles it; I'm the best prankster there has ever been."

James shoved him. "Come off it."

Remus pulled a piece of parchment towards him and began taking notes on water, rain, weather, ceilings, anything that could be related to their prank and was soon absorbed in his task while his friends began to mess around, arm wresting on the desks and playing hangman on the corner of his parchment and so the rest of the day passed rather uneventfully and the Marauders went to bed that night full of anticipation of their prank next week.

The following evening, Sirius beat the all too familiar path to Dumbledore's office, his stomach tying itself into devil's tongue knots again and again.

He gave the password to the gargoyles and stepped onto the moving staircase, feeling sick with nerves but too afraid to run away from what he knew was waiting for him in Dumbledore's office.

Without bothering to knock he strode into the office, glancing around nervously as he entered, unsure of what he was expecting but an empty office was not it. It wasn't even on the list of maybes.

He wandered over to one of the delicate silver instruments and reached out with his index finger to touch the pointy needle on top. It bent and the entire instrument collapsed with a loud clattering and Sirius jumped away, staring around guiltily.

"I didn't do it!" he exclaimed out of habit.

"It was fragile anyway, Mr Black," said the calm voice of Dumbledore from the doorway. Sirius whirled around in surprise, eyes wide with guilt.

"Sorry Sir, it –" he began but Dumbledore cut him off with a casual wave of the hand.

"It doesn't matter Sirius," he said, waving his wand and fixing the silver machine. "Anyway, there are more important matters at hand; you are about to meet the High Vampire."

Sirius's face fell as the fear that had held off for several seconds came flooding back. "Oh yeah," he remembered quietly.

"Why so glum?" the Headmaster asked, gesturing to the chair that Sirius often sat in and placing himself behind his desk.

"Why do you think? I don't want to meet this…what's his name?"

"Artifex. Why on earth do you not want to meet him?" Dumbledore questioned, staring at Sirius intently.

Sirius merely shrugged.

"Sirius, it's better for you to get over this now, before he arrives, than to have this conversation in front of him," Dumbledore said logically.

Sirius glared for a moment but then he opened his mouth. "I don't see why I should be excited about meeting a vampire," he said simply.

"Sirius, they are your family now," Dumbledore said quietly, staring Sirius in the eye.

"Maybe I don't want them to be!" he yelled furiously. "Maybe I want to be normal, with a normal family and a normal life!"

"That's out of the question Sirius; You. Are. A. Vampire," he said, emphasising each word.

Sirius scowled, trying his utmost not to cry. "Thanks for reminding me," he said sourly.

"You cannot escape this Sirius; you are what you are," Dumbledore replied calmly. "High Vampire Artifex will be here in minutes, I suggest that you calm yourself down."

Sirius jumped up and began pacing around the office, a wind beginning to pick up but it was punctured and inconstant as Sirius tried to stop it. The door rattled on its hinges and the torches lighting the office flickered and suddenly roared in large flames at least five feet high.

"Sirius," Dumbledore warned in a low voice as the wind blew around the office again, this time uncontrolled.

"I can't help it," Sirius replied through gritted teeth, face screwed up as he fought the power inside of him.

"You have to, I thought you had mastered this," Dumbledore said, keeping his voice quiet.

There was a knock on the door and the wind exploded into a storm as fear took over. The door burst open, the flames died and Sirius gasped as the power leaked from him.

"He is strong," a voice from the door observed. A figure stepped over the threshold and Sirius felt a sudden sense of calm envelope him. "Direct it," the voice instructed firmly. "Make it useful."

"What?" Sirius asked furiously, struggling not to break anything.

"Turn the power into something," the voice said. "Make it a force and use it against me."

Sirius frowned for a moment but then, without knowing how, took control of the power leaking out of him and directed it at the voice which absorbed it somehow and made it harmless.

He gasped when it was gone, stumbling slightly as the strength left his legs and collapsing into his chair.

"How many times has this happened?" the voice asked sharply, descending upon Sirius and shoving the neck of a bottle into his lips.

"Several," Dumbledore said, stepping forward to greet the man. "High Vampire Artifex?"

The man nodded and pocketed the bottle. "Look at me," he said to the fledgling in front of him. Sirius looked up reluctantly to see his own eyes reflected at him from a deathly pale, surprisingly young face surrounded by thick black hair. The man's nose was slightly long but so straight it looked as though it had been drawn with a ruler and he had highly defined cheekbones and a slightly pointed chin. He reached out with a pale hand and placed two long fingers against Sirius's neck. Immediately two wounds opened in Sirius's jugular and dribbled blood down his neck. Artifex smiled, apparently satisfied before placing his fingers over the wound, healing them in an instant.

"That is Ambrose's work," he said, straightening. "I wondered when he would make a fledgling."

Sirius, who had clapped his hand to his neck in horror, stared at the vampire before him in surprise; he wasn't the imposing, strict figure Ambrose had been. Instead he seemed calm, yet authoritative, and Sirius felt he could grow to trust him.

"Please, sit down," Dumbledore said, conjuring another chair. Artifex looked at it for a moment before sitting suspiciously and Sirius could see that he was tensed, ready to spring into action if the need arose.

"This is Sirius," Dumbledore said needlessly, gesturing to Sirius who was fighting the urge to get up and run. As though Artifex knew what was going through his mind he grinned at the boy, revealing four razor sharp fangs in his top jaw.

"Do you honestly think you can outrun me?" he asked, tilting his head to the side slightly.

Sirius scowled furiously but refused to reply. Artifex shrugged, unconcerned before turning back to Dumbledore.

"How many times has he lost control like that?" he asked again.

"Quite a few," Dumbledore replied.

"And the same things happened? The wind, I mean. Was there wind each time?" Artifex's voice was fast and fluent as he questioned the headmaster.

Dumbledore nodded. "Always the wind, and fire as well. General destruction," he replied.

Artifex smiled as he turned to Sirius. "I think it would be good for you to spend some time with us," he said thoughtfully. "You can learn to control yourself."

"No!" Sirius said quickly, looking angry.

"No?" Artifex asked, leaning towards Sirius. "And what exactly makes you say that?"

As Sirius struggled for words Artifex stood and walked slowly, deliberately, around the office. "Do you not wish to learn how to control yourself?"

"I'm fine on my own," Sirius said finally.

"But are your friends? Your classmates? Your teachers? Are they fine whilst you're around? Are you not a danger to them?" he asked slowly. "You have already gotten into a fight, you know that you can survive an attack from a supernatural, but can your friends?" He reached into his pocket and lifted out another bottle of crimson liquid, slowly uncorking it. He blew across the top, allowing the breeze to caress Sirius's senses, making him stand and pulling him to the vampire as though on a rope. Then Artifex corked the bottle and began to put it away but he was interrupted by a furious hiss as Sirius dived at him, eyes onyx black, in an attempt to lift the bottle. In a second Artifex had Sirius pinned tight against him, with his arms around the boy's chest, fangs at his neck.

"A fledgling cannot resist the temptation," he whispered against Sirius's skin, smiling a little and allowing his fangs to brush against the boy's neck.

Sirius didn't struggle; he was captivated by the feel of the fangs against his skin, as he had been the night he had been Turned.

"You see?" Artifex murmured. "You see how easy it is to forget yourself? To grant that scent control of your mind. A fledgling would attack his brother without a second thought if tempted."

Artifex tilted his head so that he could easily bite through Sirius's skin and feed but he resisted. "You see now what control is?" he asked softly.

Sirius nodded, unable to speak; he was in shock at the loss of control he had just experienced.

"You see the importance of staying with us?" Artifex continued quietly, his voice so low only Sirius could hear. "See the danger you present?"

Sirius nodded, blood pooling in his eyes. "Yes," he whispered, his voice haunted.

There was a smile against Sirius's skin before he was released from Artifex's grip. Sirius tried to wipe his eyes but the High Vampire took his wrists.

"Do not feel ashamed," he said, looking directly at Sirius with bright eyes as the blood trickled down the fledgling's cheeks. "You will soon learn."

Then he turned and was gone, leaving Sirius standing, confused, in the middle of Dumbledore's office. He reached up and wiped away the blood before slowly walking away, shutting the door behind him and making his way outside to lose himself in the darkness of night.


	8. The Spoon

The Spoon

The next few weeks passed uneventfully, with Sirius growing evermore anxious that Artifex would suddenly turn up and take him away to learn how to control himself. Dumbledore said that he didn't have a date for it, and he supposed that Artifex would decide when he thought it was right. This did nothing to steady Sirius's nerves, however.

"Tryouts later," James said excitedly one Saturday as the four boys wandered the grounds, the first time that year as they had spent all previous weekends doing detention for their prank at the beginning of term.

Sirius nodded absently, scanning the grounds for mysterious figures with dark hair.

"You should try out Sirius," he continued.

"I've already told you, no," Sirius said firmly.

"But you'd be great," James whined.

"Says who?" Sirius snorted. "Anyway, I'm commentator."

"Remus will commentate," James said airily, waving his hand towards the pale boy who was walking quietly but companionably along beside them.

"Remus will do what now?" he asked, raising an eyebrow and giving James a questioning look.

"You'll commentate," said James casually. "And Sirius can play for the team."

"When did I agree to this?" Remus asked whilst Sirius gave a plain "No I won't" look.

"You didn't, I decided for you," said James, grinning.

"Oh."

"Great!" James exclaimed enthusiastically, spinning around in excitement.

"Hey!" Sirius said loudly. "I haven't agreed to anything."

"But you know you will," said James. "You know how I'll annoy you, and bug you and irritate you until you do."

"And if I don't?"

"That's out of the question," James replied. "Would you rather play Beater or Chaser?"

Several hours later Sirius and James were both striding down the lawn towards the Quidditch Pitch, brooms over their shoulders.

"I can't believe I let you talk me into doing this," Sirius muttered. "I haven't played Quidditch in years."

"You'll be fine," James said for the seventh time. "What's the worst that can happen?"

"It's a long list," Sirius replied.

James laughed and sprinted ahead, motioning for Sirius to do the same so he began running, laughing as well though he was unaware of it, and easily caught up with his friend before tackling him to the ground. They both fell into a heap, laughing uncontrollably, their broomsticks lying nearby.

"Come on," James said eventually, standing and retrieving his broom. "I guess it's lucky we left early."

Sirius nodded and followed his friend to the Quidditch Pitch, stomach tight with nerves.

"Can all those wishing to tryout for Beater line up over here, and those for Chaser over there," the captain, Matthew Tareth, called, gesturing to his right and left. Sirius moved to the left with the other hopefuls trying out for Chaser and stood at the back of the small mob, trying to look inconspicuous however word soon spread through the crowd that Sirius Black, _the_ Sirius Black who had refused to play Quidditch for five years was trying out.

"Okay, all the hopefuls in the air please and also the Beater; I'm letting out the Bludgers to see who here can fly and who can't," Matthew instructed, waving his wand at the crate of balls. The top sprung open and the chains binding the large balls unlocked and twisted away, releasing them.

Sirius kicked off from the ground and, for a moment, forgot everything that had been bothering him, worrying him or scaring him as he remembered what is was to soar on the breeze and feel the wind through his black hair. He smiled to himself but was jerked from his reverie by a Bludger that he only just managed to dodge by looping dramatically around it. He could hear James whooping and cheering below him but he ignored it.

Unsure of what to do he glanced around at everyone else who were all hanging in the air uncertainly, looking about as he was until Matthew gave the order for the Beater who was already on the team to start hitting the Bludgers at as many people as possible. Sirius concentrated on not hitting the large black balls at first and later, after several people had collided forcefully in the air and had been taken to the Hospital Wing, he worked on swerving around his housemates as well. He wasn't hit at all, though once or twice there were very near misses when he nearly slipped from his broom after turning too sharply.

"Okay everyone, back to the ground!" Matthew called, gesturing them down. He was a sixth year and it was his second year as captain now. The team had only lost a single game under his leadership. "I want all of the Beater hopefuls to take a bat (he waved his wand and several ordinary rounders bats appeared) and to line up over there."

The drill was to see who could hit the most tennis balls at the Chaser hopefuls and the team, out of whom three tied: a fourth year girl and two third year boys. Those three were then asked to fly again, with the Bludgers, the other Beater and a bat and they had to hit targets that were hovering at various points above the pitch.

Then the Chasers had to fly up and hover in a circle, throwing the Quaffle to each other at a fast pace without touching their brooms with their hands. Somehow Sirius made it into the final four so he had to shoot several goals at the Keeper whilst flying with the other two Chasers on the team; James and Lily, who worked surprisingly well together whilst playing and it made James admire her all the more.

Sirius went last, when most of the other hopefuls had disappeared back up to the castle.

He took the Quaffle and faced Matthew, who was Keeper, staring straight past him at the right hoop. James smiled at his encouragingly and Lily grinned from his other side. He returned both, surprisingly comfortable in the air, and shot a quick pass to Lily who tossed the ball over it to James. James flew fast and hard at Matthew before pelting the ball back towards Sirius who grabbed it in both hands and launched it at the left hoop. Matthew snatched it from the air before it went through and tossed it back to Sirius.

"Nice shot," he yelled, blinking in the drizzle that had started falling from the sky.

"It didn't go in though," Sirius called back.

"It nearly did."

Sirius shrugged and sped for the goal, deciding to dummy for the middle one and shoot for the left again. He made the motion of throwing towards the middle goal, trying to keep a grip on the slippery leather but it slid from his grasp and fell pathetically to the ground, ten feet in front of the hoops.

"Try again, that would have been a good shot," Matthew encouraged.

Sirius caught the ball before it hit the floor and drew level with Lily and James again, this time determined to score.

He hurled the Quaffle towards James who fumbled it slightly before recovering and passing to Lily who immediately flung it to Sirius. The wet leather almost passed through his hands but somehow he managed to keep it in his grip and hold it beneath his arm before preparing to shoot. This time he went for the middle hoop but Matthew punched it away with ease and Sirius felt his determination and hope ebbing.

"Don't get down Sirius; you've actually got talent, you're just not trying hard enough," the captain called, smiling at him looking pleased.

"But everyone else scored," said Sirius, confused.

"I let them; don't worry about it – you're better than them!" Matthew replied, blurred through the rain.

Sirius sighed but his hope was renewed slightly and he took the Quaffle with determination once again, swinging his arm forwards so hard he nearly tumbled from the broom. He turned to watch the ball's progress through the air, watching as it spun towards Matthew's outstretched hands, straight towards the centre hoop. Matthew fumbled, slipped and managed to grab it from the air, grinning all the while.

He signalled to the others to land and Sirius drifted downwards in the increasing rain with a heavy heart; he found that he had actually really wanted to make it onto the team.

"You're a natural Sirius!" Matthew exclaimed when they were all standing in the middle of the pitch. "I haven't had to try so hard to save goals since I was little and I played against my dad!"

Sirius looked shocked. "Really?" he asked.

Matthew nodded. "You're on the team," he said firmly. Lily gave a yell of delight and threw her arms around Sirius's neck, grinning widely whilst James clapped him on the back.

"I told you!" he roared happily.

That night it was announced that the fourth year girl and Sirius had made the team and there was a party in the Gryffindor Common Room to celebrate the new players and for good luck in the matches they would play later in the year.

The next morning Sirius and James were both regretting their final few Butterbeers and were receiving several I-told-you-so glances from Remus every minute but fortunately it was a Sunday so they could sleep all day and allow the effects to wear off.

The next day was one of the worst for lessons as it was a day when the Marauders actually had to work. It didn't help that the teachers seemed to think that giving them piles of homework would somehow help them pass their OWLs.

The first three lessons passed as quickly as Monday lessons could be expected to be, but trouble arrived along with Defence Against the Dark Arts with Professor Simaltis whom both Sirius and Remus had come to hate with a passion. Sirius felt positively ill with nerves before the lesson, and Remus was already on edge because he had missed last lesson due to a full moon the day before.

"Enter," the Professor called form inside the classroom when the entire class was standing around outside.

Sirius stepped into the room behind James and headed immediately for his seat at the back, a feeling of impending doom stealing over him.

"Why so nervous?" Remus whispered as he pulled out his quill, parchment and ink.

"Just worried. More than normal, I mean," Sirius replied tensely.

"Don't be; nothing will happen. Nothing has so far, right?" Remus said, trying to be consoling.

Sirius merely shrugged. "Why does everyone seem to think that just because nothing has happened yet means it never will?" he asked in annoyance.

"It's called optimism, you should try it sometime," Remus replied before turning to the front where Professor Simaltis was complaining about the quality of the essays that had been handed in on how to recognise a vampire.

"I've been through this with you," he said in exasperation. "You're concentrating on myths, not fact. Vampires do not feel pain when they come into contact with crosses, or holy water. They don't affect them. That's Dracula. Real vampires, the actual vermin that walks this earth, have aversions to sunlight, and fire. Not religious artefacts."

He stared around the class, his gaze lingering upon Sirius for a moment. "In fact, the only person who received full marks was Mr Black here," he said quietly. "He seemed to be rather well informed."

Sirius's eyes widened as he realised that Simaltis was expecting an explanation. "Well, I read a lot," he muttered.

"You read a lot?" Simaltis repeated sceptically. "No other sources? An informer? Inside information?"

"No," said Sirius quickly. "Of course not."

Simaltis gave a sly smile before turning away. "I'm handing back your essays and I want them corrected for homework."

Sirius glanced at Remus, his eyes alive with terror. "Do you think he knows?" he hissed shakily.

"No," Remus said slowly, narrowing his eyes a little. "He thinks you have a friend who's a vampire."

Sirius frowned. "Why would he think that?" he asked, puzzled.

"Think," said Remus through gritted teeth. "Do you have any friends who the staff seem to be wary of? Any friends who often disappear for a few days?" He turned away, avoiding Sirius's gaze. "He thinks it's me."

Sirius frowned for a second, then brightened. "Then he doesn't actually know about you," he said.

Remus glared at him.

"Hey, I'm just trying optimism," Sirius said defensively.

"Bite me," Remus growled in annoyance.

Sirius's face became thoughtful and he parted his lips slightly to reveal the pointed tips of his pearly white fangs. "Don't tempt me," he said, smiling evilly.

Remus gave a small smile, then a quiet laugh. "So you're willing to joke about it now?" he asked.

"Only for you," Sirius said, his voice sincere.

Remus looked surprised and pleased but he didn't say anything; he knew not to.

Sirius closed his mouth and glanced at his essay which had just landed on his desk. He looked at it closely, trying to define the single word that had been scrawled at the bottom in red ink.

"What does that say?" he asked, shoving it across the desk to Remus.

Remus shrugged as he squinted at the text. "Pass?" he said, giving up.

"Why did I only get an 'A'?" Sirius asked, jabbing his finger at the grade at the top of the page.

Remus frowned. "Didn't he say you got top marks?" he asked in confusion.

"Yes, he did," said Sirius furiously. "It's just because he doesn't like me."

"Class," Simaltis called. "I thought it would help if we went through the afflictions in a little more detail," he said when he was sure of his pupils' attention.

Sirius groaned. "Why? Why would he think that?" he asked, sounding hopeless.

"How should I know what goes on inside a madman's head?" Remus asked.

Sirius raised his eyebrows. "Well, you of all people…" he said, allowing the sentence to hang in the air.

Remus glared at him in good nature before turning back to Simaltis.

"…show you an image of a well known vampire," he was saying. "Then you can see for yourselves."

The board behind him suddenly lit up and upon it a picture appeared of a man who had haunted Sirius's thoughts for months now. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes of a poisonous yellow that Sirius had seen only three times before: a mirror in St Mungo's that he cracked in the corner so his reflection would be visible, the night he was bitten, and a couple of weeks ago when Artifex had showed up in Hogwarts. Without realising, Sirius went rigid in his seat, eyes fixed upon the image with a horror and an anger that seemed almost unimaginable but it was definitely present; Remus could feel it emanating from his friend.

"What's wrong?" he asked in alarm, staring at Sirius worriedly. "What's happened?"

"That's Ambrose," Sirius hissed after a moment.

"Who's-" Remus began but Simaltis had began speaking again and Remus faced forwards.

"You may have seen pictures of this being before; he's rather well known in the wizarding world, and also in the vampire underworld," Simaltis said.

"Why's he so well known?" someone asked.

"He's a notorious killer, known for leaving his victims for dead after draining them completely," Simaltis replied, looking round impressively. "In the vampire underworld he's known because he's the oldest vampire in existence without a fledgling, until recently."

The class was immediately filled with a murmuring, humming as people turned to talk to their neighbours about this latest news.

"A couple of months ago, there was a report from St Mungo's of a vampire attack. The victim was found alive, near wizards who would know what to do. The victim was taken to St Mungo's and the wound was inspected and later confirmed to have been made by a vampire named Ambrose who belongs to a powerful coven, Cruis Gens," Simaltis revealed. Sirius was statue-like in his chair, his face so pale it seemed almost to shine in the darkened classroom.

"Did the victim survive?" a voice called from Sirius and Remus's left.

Simaltis nodded. "The victim was returned to health and released, able to mix with humans and kill more innocents."

Remus turned to his friend. "You?" he whispered, looking horrified.

Sirius nodded stiffly, his face twisted with the effort of not crying.

"You will notice the unique (here Simaltis's gaze flicked to Sirius) eye colour," he said, pointing to Ambrose's eye sockets. "And the fangs of course."

"How did he show up on camera?" James asked, staring at the picture, transfixed.

"Vampires will show up on camera, in pictures, through telescopes, whatever you wish. The only thing they won't be seen in is a mirror, unless it is broken," Simaltis answered. "They do not show up in mirrors due to the silver content." Simaltis reached into his pocket at this point and took something out. It glinted eerily in the light from the projected image. "Oh, I forgot to mention; vampires have an affliction to silver."

He threw the object with a precise aim, directly at Remus. Sirius saw its journey through the air before it happened and didn't realise what he was doing until he found himself on his feet, arm outstretched to stop the object making contact with Remus who he knew would be wounded from it.

It slammed into his hand with an unexpected force and Sirius glanced down at it to see that it was a small, ornate spoon, made of silver. He didn't register the pain until he saw blood dripping from his hand. A searing, burning agony tore through his hand with the force of a bullet and Sirius fought not to scream as he stared at his hand in horror. He opened his fingers slowly to see large, painful blisters forming on them before he forced his hand to face palm down. The spoon fell with a ringing sound that echoed in Sirius's ears as he gazed down at his hand. There was a deep welt, the exact size and shape of the spoon he had dropped gouged into his palm, releasing blood at an alarming rate so it pooled in his hand before trickling to the floor.

His entire arm was burning and Sirius's body was already aching with thirst. He collapsed back into his chair, shoving his hand inside his robes and staring at the word scribbled at the bottom of his essay: _silver_.


	9. Revelations

**Revelations**

Sirius sat stone still, what little blood he had pooling on the floor, leaving his veins throbbing and his throat burning. His hand seared and he could feel himself drifting, sinking into a blissful oblivion that beckoned temptingly.

"Sirius," Remus hissed, grabbing his arm and jerking him. Sirius yelped as Remus jolted his hand, making the scarlet liquid pump faster from the wound for a second. Sirius gasped as a wave of nausea hit him with breath-taking force and he slumped back in his chair, looking for all the world like a dying soldier on the battle field.

"Sorry, sorry," Remus apologised hastily, patting Sirius on the shoulder in a way that Sirius figured was supposed to be comforting. As it was it merely sent pain rocketing through his arm but Sirius gritted his teeth and didn't complain.

"What?" he asked furiously, not looking at his friend.

"Sirius, I think you should see Madam Pomfrey," he said nervously.

"I'm going to Remus but, in case you didn't notice, we're in the middle of a lesson right now and it would be most unhelpful if I were to leave in the middle of it," Sirius snapped.

Remus winced. "That's never stopped you before," he said before he could stop himself.

"I've never been taught by a Vampire Hunter before, Remus," Sirius explained slowly, as though to somebody with severe mental health problems. "Things change, you see."

"But you need help; you look dead," Remus said, peering into Sirius's eyes awkwardly.

"Remus, I am dead," Sirius stated bluntly.

Remus opened his mouth but couldn't think of a reply and so shut it again and turned to the front, glaring at Simultis furiously; this was his fault.

Sirius sighed and leaned back in his chair, his arm cradled in his lap. It was feeling slightly better now; it was still throbbing only now it was starting to go numb at the fingertips. This worried Sirius somewhat but he refused to think of it. Instead he watched the clock intensely, counting down the minutes until he could get help.  
At the sound of the bell, Sirius fell from his chair, stumbling slightly. The scent of blood was strong in his nostrils and he clenched his hand to distract himself from thoughts of hunting. The pain it caused tore a scream from his throat and he collapsed sideways into Remus. The smell of werewolf blood made his muscles tense but he was too weak to act upon his instincts and so he allowed Remus to support him down the corridor, feeling safe in the werewolf's arms.

*************************************  
"What on Earth were you thinking?" Madam Pomfrey shrieked furiously, dragging Sirius to a bed.

"I...I...it wasn't...this isn't my fault!" Sirius stammered, shocked by the nurse's reaction.

"How exactly is this not your fault Sirius Black?" she questioned, shoving him backwards and grabbing his arm. Sirius screamed in agony but the matron waved her wand and a blissful numbness spread through Sirius's arm and he collapsed back onto the bed, a faint sheen of blood lightly dusting his skin, somehow managing to make his face paler. He gasped, tears of blood leaking from his eyes as he lay back, shaking violently.

Madam Pomfrey turned and strode swiftly into her office as Sirius's body convulsed and his eyes rolled back, pain returning to his arm slowly but surely. The nurse returned and yanked Sirius's head back by the hair, aware that he was in no fit state to do it himself. She tipped a potion down his throat and shut his mouth for him until he swallowed unwillingly. Then she grabbed another bottle from the table next to the bed and threw it down his throat to follow the first. As soon as the potion was swallowed, Sirius began to relax; the shaking stopped and he lay still on the bed, his eyes glazed over.

"Sirius," a soft voice whispered. The sound was velvety, smooth inside his aching head, soothing the pain in his skull. "Sirius..."

Sirius tried to open his mouth, to tell the person who had the wonderfully soft voice that he could hear, he was listening but he couldn't so much as open his eyes.

"Sirius, I know I'm not supposed to speak to you, not until you're awake but I'm so scared. What's happened to you? This isn't the Sirius I know. You look so...so weak. I'm sorry, that's a horrible word. You're not weak; you never have been. You're vulnerable."

The voice was muffled and slightly restricted; the voice of somebody who had been crying.

"I don't know what to say. I don't even know if you can hear me. I hope so. I hope you know how much we miss you. I want you to come back Sirius. Please?"

Sirius strained every muscle in his body but the most he could do was move a finger of his left hand. He moved it as much as he could, hoping the voice could see until he realised with despair that it was on the wrong side; the voice was on his right. He sought to move his right hand but found it impossible.

"I don't care, just so you know. It doesn't matter to me. I worked it out after out first DADA lesson. I hope you don't mind and I swear I haven't told anyone. If you want to talk to me you know you can, right? I want to talk to you, just as soon as you wake up, okay?"

Sirius's mind struggled to wrap around what the voice was saying; the words were foggy and swirled slowly inside his head, dancing just beyond reach of his comprehension. He heard a chair scraping back, felt something soft touch the cold skin of his cheek and then heard the sound of footsteps fading into the distance.

Two days later, Sirius came round to the relief of all those who knew him. He was unable to sit up, could barely speak and every inch of him pulsed with pain but at least he was conscious. Madam Pomfrey forbade anybody to visit him for the first three days. Those days were slightly fuzzy in Sirius's mind. All he could remember of them was a lot of potion and the bleak white curtain that surrounded him. When he was able to sit up he was able to fully inspect his arm for the first time. There wasn't much to inspect however; it was covered in thick bandages and bound up in a sling. He had tried to unwrap it once but Madam Pomfrey had yelled herself hoarse at him afterward and he hadn't tried it again.

His first visitor was Remus who came in the first night he was allowed visitors. He was alone; both James and Peter were serving detention for arguing with Simultis.

"Hey," Remus murmured as he came in, shoes squeaking loudly on the polished floor.

"Hey," Sirius smiled, adjusting himself slightly so he could look at the chair Remus sat in. "How've you been?"

Remus rolled his eyes. "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?" he asked, fidgeting with the chair until he was comfortable.

Sirius the face that often accompanies a shrug and sighed. "It's so boring in here Moony; I don't know how you cope," he said mournfully. "There's nothing to do, especially if you get your head bitten off practically every time you move."

Remus grinned. "I read normally. I can get you some books if you want," he suggested.

"I'm not that bored," Sirius amended.

Remus laughed quietly, revealing his crooked left tooth. "I didn't think you would be," he said.

Sirius sighed again. "There must be something to do," he moaned, looking around as though fun things would magically appear around him just because he wanted them to.

Remus looked thoughtful. "I have your homework..."

"Seriously?" Sirius asked, raising his eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Um...Transfiguration and DADA," Remus replied, reaching into his bag and pulling out several sheaves of parchment, some blank, some with assignments on them.

Sirius grinned and reached for them. "Do you have a quill and ink?" he asked, peering awkwardly into Remus' bag from the bed.

Remus handed Sirius his quill and ink with a bemused look. "You're bored enough to do homework but not bored enough to read?" he asked, confused.

Sirius made a face. "What books do you have?" he asked, sounding begrudging.

"Well, I raided that secret store of them beneath your bed so hopefully some of your favourites," Remus answered, looking sheepish.

"What?" Sirius exclaimed. "They're secret! How did you know about them?" he demanded, his eyes flashing.

"Sirius, I've known you like reading since First Year when I found your secret supply," said Remus trying not to smile even though his heart was swelling. "Now you know, we can read together!" he said happily.

One look from Sirius and the smile across Remus' face died. "So, anyway," Remus said hastily. "I brought _The Dark Half_."

Sirius's face lit up as he saw the well thumbed copy of his favourite book. "Great, thanks Moony!" Sirius grinned, forgetting his annoyance. "Any others?"

"_Interview With The Vampire_," Remus sad, pulling another book from his bag.  
Sirius scowled. "I do not like that book," he growled.

Remus hurriedly shoved it out of sight. "In which case I only have _Tom Sawyer_," Remus said, dropping classic onto the white bedspread.

Sirius chuckled and sighed wistfully as he picked it up with his good hand. "I like his one," he said happily. "Thanks."

Remus grinned and stood. "My pleasure," he said courteously. "I have to go now, but I have another book you might like. It's my favourite."

Remus stuck his hand into his bag again and pulled out a pristine black book with odd illustrations and the title _Good Omens_ embossed on the front.

Sirius stared at it.

"You'll love it," Remus promised. "It's about the apocalypse and there's this demon called Crowley who you'll love and there's a little boy called Adam and-"

"Remus?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up."

"Okay."

Sirius reached for the book and stared at the cover. He flipped it over and read the back.

"'The Nice And Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter'?" he asked doubtfully.

Remus chuckled. "You'll love it," he called over his shoulder, striding away. "Just don't spill chocolate on it, or bend the pages, or get it wet, or sneeze on it, or lose it..."

Remus' voice eventually faded out and Sirius glanced at the book before opening the cover.

"'It was a nice day...'"

A day later Sirius welcomed his second visitor. Lily strode into the ward, looking hopeful and scared, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"Lily!" Sirius greeted warmly, dropping Remus' book onto the floor where it closed with a thud, the front cover and first page bent back, creating a fold across the text.

"Sirius," she choked.

Sirius frowned. "What's wrong?" he asked, leaning over to touch her arm.

Lily settled into the chair, avoiding Sirius' eyes. "I came to visit you, when you were unconscious. I don't know if you remember," she began, biting her lip. This was much harder whilst he was alert.

Sirius shook his head.

Lily took a breath. "Then I should tell you something," she said nervously.

Sirius' face clouded with confusion as her eyes filled with tears. "Is everything aright?" he asked, looking panicked. "Petunia? Sophie and Alan?"

"They're fine," she assured him. "I write to them last week and everything's great at home."

"Then what's wrong?" Sirius was staring at her, waiting for her to speak and yet afraid for her to do so; whatever was upsetting Lily was big – she didn't cry often.

"Sirius, did I ever tell you how my parents died?" she asked quietly.

Sirius shook his head. "You don't have to tell me anything if you don't want to," he said calmingly.

"Yes I do Sirius," she said loudly. "You have to know."

"Know what?" Sirius frowned.

Lily took a breath. "When I was eight I went to a school camp where we went canoeing, abseiling, rock climbing – Muggle stuff. It was fun; I had the time of my life but I got really homesick. I wrote home a couple of times but I got no reply and there as no answer on the phone. I didn't think anything it; I only missed them more for their silence. Petunia was in France, skiing with a friend and I couldn't get hold of her either. My parents were spending the week alone, like a second honeymoon. I couldn't wait to go and see them again, and that Friday I waited four hours for them to pick me up from the camp but they never got there. I told the people in charge that I was catching the train and I'd forgotten, but I knew I hadn't. I got home late at night but I didn't care; I was so excited, it didn't cross my mind that something was wrong. Not even when I saw the door hanging open." Her voice trailed into silence.

"Lily, please don't go on; I don't want to upset you," Sirius murmured, struggling awkwardly from the bed and draping his good arm around her shoulders.

"No," she whispered. "I want you to know. You should know." A few more tears leaked down her face before she continued. "I walked inside but it was dark; I couldn't see anything. The air was heavy and it smelled foul but nothing clicked. The walls seemed darker, but I put that down to the lack of light. On the floor in the living room I could see a dark patch, and a body." Lily's voice was tortured now; it was clear to Sirius that she was unlocking painful memories. "I walked over and I saw my mother's hair, spread out over the carpet, and her face. It was horribly pale, and her eyes were unfocused. I knew she was dead. I think I screamed but I don't remember what happened too well. I ran away; I didn't want to see her, broken on the floor. I ran into the garden and I found my dad, hanging from our apple tree. Then I did scream. It hurt my throat but I didn't care. In my nightmares, I can still hear myself. I can still see him, just swaying from the branch. I can smell my mother, decaying in our front room. The neighbours came, and doctors. No one knew what had caused my mother's death, but it had drained her of blood. The dark stuff on the walls was human blood, but not my mother's. Petunia came home, we were taken away. I lived in an orphanage for two years, until Sophie and Alan came. When I arrived here, I spoke to Dumbledore about my parents; I wanted to know what had killed my mum, who had done it. And I got my answer," she said bitterly, hers glinting furiously through her tears.

Sirius had sat back on the bed, staring at Lily in horror. "Vampires?" he whispered.

"A gang of them," she muttered. "It was a random killing, one of many. My dad was at the shop when it happened. He committed suicide when he saw her."

Sirius clenched his fists, furious and yet devastatingly grief stricken. "Lily," he said his voice cracking. "I am so, so sorry."

Lily stared at him. "It wasn't your fault," she said quietly. "That's why I wanted to tell you; I would never blame you for this. I just wanted you to know. Both things."

"How long have you known?" he asked, taking a breath to steady himself. He wanted very much to reach out and touch her, to comfort her but he was afraid of being rejected.

"Since our first DADA lesson," she admitted, avoiding his gaze as tears pooled in her eyes again.

Sirius bit his lip, uncaring of the pain he felt as blood stemmed from the wound. He stood up and moved towards her, unsure of what to do.

Lily stood and collapsed into his arms, crying softly into his shoulder whilst he stood helplessly, fury and hate seething inside him, filling him with thoughts of vengeance against every vampire in existence.

When Lily left Sirius walked over to the windowsill and stared out, unsteady with shock. Lily's revelation had shaken him to his core in a way he knew had cut deep and would leave a scar. As he stared outside at the beauty that surrounded him he wondered why he existed; there was no point in him whatsoever. No point in any vampire; when they were completely stripped down, they were selfish murderers, killing for their own gain. The thought worried him and he began to pick at the paint on the window ledge, terrified of what he was to become.

"Sirius?" Madam Pomfrey called, worry thick in her voice as she discovered the empty bed.

"I'm here," he sighed, turning from the window and shutting off his morbid thoughts.

"What are you doing boy?" she questioned, walking over and steering him back to bed by the elbow.

"Contemplating," he replied.

"Contemplating what?" she asked, taking a potion from the bedside table.

"My existence. Our existence. Well, not yours. Mine. Ours. My kind. Why do we exist? There's no reason for us to exist, so why do we?" he said, his thoughts tumbling out of his brain before he could stop them.

The nurse frowned. "You shouldn't be thinking like that," she said sternly.

"Why not? Why shouldn't I? It's true, isn't it; we're pointless, a waste of space and human life. Everyone would be better off if we were all just wiped out," Sirius said slowly, looking down at himself. "Look at me- where's the use? I feed off of humans, I'll attack helpless victims. We're all monsters."

"Now this is exactly the sort of thing the Headmaster didn't want you thinking about. He said he'd call the High Vampire as soon as the thoughts hit," she told him, pushing him onto the bed and handing him the potion.

Sirius took it but the cup didn't touch his lips. "You know this won't work anymore," he said, glancing into it. "I'm strong enough to resist it now; no more sleep for me." Sirius sighed. "You won't call Artifex, will you?" he asked worriedly.

Madam Pomfrey bit her lip. "I really should..." she said, clearly torn.

"Please, I don't want to see him. Any of them. Not yet." Sirius placed the cup on the table next to the bed.

"No more 'useless existence' thoughts?" she asked.

"None," Sirius promised.

"Then I'll keep quiet. Unless I'm worried about you," she promised in return. "Please don't give me reason to be," she added before turning and walking back into her office.

Sirius watched her leave before sighing and lying back. Since he had recovered his strength, the sleeping potions had stopped working, so now he was tired as Santa on Christmas Eve but unable to sleep. It didn't help matters that he was forbidden to wander the grounds at night whilst incapacitated. He gazed at the darkened ceiling, his eyes picking out the flaws and cracks in the plaster. He sighed and rolled onto his side, watching the world outside the window with almost painful longing; what he wouldn't give to be out there right now, so feel the breeze dancing across his skin, to breath air scented by grass and trees, to watch the stars in perfect solitude, knowing that nobody else had seen these sights with such eyes, that nobody before him had smelt the air with such intensity; Sirius was the only vampire to stay at Hogwarts in history.

The sheets rustled across him as he slipped soundlessly out of bed and over to the window. He brushed his fingers across the catch, wondering if it would sound if he pulled it to open the window. After a second's hesitation he gritted his teeth and pulled gently. The window shot up and hit the frame with a bang, the edges screaming as they scraped at the wall. Sirius didn't stay to find out whether or not Madam Pomfrey had heard; he placed his good arm on the sill and launched himself into space, falling three floors before landing gracefully on the grass with not the slightest sound.

The next morning Sirius was sitting in bed when Madam Pomfrey came around with breakfast.

"Did you by any chance go outside last night Mr Black?" se asked sternly, handing him a bottle that Sirius drank from gratefully.

Sirius peered up at hr through his eyelashes and fixed a small smile on his lips.  
"No," he said smoothly, eyes wide with innocence. "I've been here all night."

"And that would explain the mud on your cheek would it?" the nurse asked, cleaning Sirius's cheek roughly. "And the leaves in your hair?" She brushed the foliage from his velvety locks and glaring at him.

Sirius sighed. "Sorry," he mumbled.

"No you're not," Madam Pomfrey retorted.

Sirius laughed tiredly. "Okay, I'm not. But I won't do it again."

The nurse looked at him questioningly.

"I'm exhausted," he explained. "The potions don't work anymore, remember? I'm getting more tired by the minute."

"Are you sure the potions aren't working? I can find a stronger one..." she suggested.  
Sirius shrugged and made a face. "No idea. We can try I guess."

Madam Pomfrey bustled away and Sirius flopped back onto the pillows with an exhausted sigh. He stared up at the ceiling, fighting the urge to yawn and prayed for sleep to take him but of course it didn't. Instead he lay there, hating himself more with every second that passed, growing more and more envious of his friends and fellow classmates who didn't have these kinds of problems.

Madam Pomfrey came back with an opaque bottle whose label Sirius was unable to see.

"What's that?" he asked suspiciously.

"This, Mr Black, is the strongest sleeping potion ever invented," she told him, pouring some clear liquid into a goblet. "I hope it helps," she added, handing him the cup.

Sirius grinned and knocked it back in one, grimacing as he did so. "I do too," he said, placing the goblet on the bedside table.

Madam Pomfrey took the bottle and the goblet and walked away, drawing the curtains as she did so to give him some privacy.

Sirius could feel the potion taking effect inside him; his limbs were so heavy he didn't think he could lift them if he tried and his eyelids were shutting of their own accord. A dull excitement flared up inside him a the possibility of sleeping but it was a false hope as he realised an hour later when he was still not asleep, merely so tired he wanted to weep and scream but did not have the energy to do so.

Madam Pomfrey came around once to ask how he was doing but all Sirius could do was moan. The nurse had checked his non-existent pulse out of habit before calling Dumbledore.

"Headmaster," Sirius heard her say urgently into her fire. "I think you should come down here."

There was a pause before she replied; "It's Mr Black."

Then there was a pop as she pulled her head out of the fire and a whoosh of air as Dumbledore appeared within it. He stepped out with calm authority and walked purposefully towards Sirius's bed. He drew the curtains back and chuckled.

"Headmaster?" Madam Pomfrey asked in confusion.

"Don't panic Poppy; it's perfectly normal," he said reassuringly. "You see, when vampires grow tired they normally sleep wherever their coven convenes. They can sleep for months, sometimes years, before awakening stronger than before and going about their ordinary business."

"But what's happened to Mr Black?" Madam Pomfrey asked in alarm.

"He's tired," said Dumbledore simply. "And I think it's time he visited the coven."


	10. Something Interesting

**Something Interesting**

As Sirius lay as though catatonic, Dumbledore contacted Artifex and asked if he would help. Judging from the cheerful pitch to Dumbledore's tone afterwards, Artifex had replied in the affirmative. Sirius felt a familiar dread steal through him, filling him with a fear so concentrated he thought he might scream at the pure terror of it. He didn't want to go to the coven and meet vampires he knew he would be afraid of; he didn't want to be embarrassed by Artifex again and most of all he was petrified of running into Ambrose a second time. He knew he had no choice in the matter however; he doubted he could even stand unsupported.

A quiet popping sound and a calming voice alerted Sirius to Artifex's arrival and he felt his muscles tense with a renewed fear, despite the relaxed tone the High Vampire had adopted. He heard two pairs of footsteps draw near and managed to open his eyes enough to see Dumbledore, Madam Pomfrey and Artifex standing over him.

Artifex grinned, flashing his fangs at Sirius. "Tired, are you?" he asked casually, pulling back the blankets.

Sirius made a noise in the back of his throat which was the most he could muster.

Artifex threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound reaching for the ceiling and twirling around Sirius's soul, sheltering him and comforting him somehow.

"I could be offended," he said, eyes glittering. "Can you stand?"

Sirius moaned again and tried to move his heavy legs. The movements were feeble but they were definitely movements.

"Excellent. Do you need a hand?" Artifex leant forwards without waiting for a reply and lifted Sirius from the bed as though he was a rag doll. Sirius wobbled unsteadily as Artifex set him on his feet and tried to move away from the deliciously sweet scent of Artifex's skin and breath but only succeeded in falling. The High Vampire grabbed him around the waist and laughed quietly in his ear.

"Will you be quite alright?" Madam Pomfrey asked, gazing at Artifex in wonder.

Artifex handed Sirius to Dumbledore and turned to the nurse, his eyes wide and bright.

"My dear lady," he whispered, taking a step forwards and taking her hand in his, "I can assure you he will be fine." He then lifted her hand to his face and inhaled deeply before kissing her fingers and turning away, leaving the nurse looking rather star struck. He bundled Sirius into his arms and carried him to the fire. "He'll be back soon Albus," he said over his shoulder before stepping into the flames and disappearing.

He stepped out of a grate in a wall, next to a tall iron gate tipped with spikes. "It's just decoration," he told Sirius, setting him upright and helping him towards the imposing gates. "We can keep mortals out without such amenities."

Sirius took a deep breath and gathered his energy. "What about immortals?" he asked weakly.

Artifex chuckled, waving his hand at the gates which parted instantly. "They're a different matter," he said indifferently.

Sirius didn't think he could say anything else so he allowed himself to be supported up the long drive and towards a dark castle he wasn't able to see properly due to the angle of his head.

Tall oaken doors swung back as Artifex approached, revealing a long corridor carpeted in red with torch brackets secured to the walls. The candles inside them threw ominous shadows over the uneven stone walls but Sirius wasn't watching the shadows; his eyes had been immediately drawn to the vampires standing along the walls, waiting for him and Artifex.

"Artifex," one of them said. "Ambrose isn't best pleased, he-"

"Caius, please," Artifex said quietly.

"But-"

"No," Artifex said firmly. "Sirius needs sleep. He does not need trouble from that damned fledgling of mine."

Sirius frowned; his thought processes were slow and foggy but he was sure he should be listening to this, was sure that significant information was being exchanged.

"Artifex you surely cannot mean-" a deep voice said from down the corridor. Sirius slumped against Artifex in terror, turning his head away from the new arrival and tensing instinctively.

"You brought him here?" Ambrose hissed. Suddenly he was in front of Artifex and Sirius could feel his presence, could smell the blood of a recent hunt and could hear the malice in the snide voice.

Sirius felt Artifex take a deep breath as though to calm himself.  
"Ambrose. You created him. You know the laws. He belongs here," Artifex stated simply.

"He does not belong here," Ambrose barked and Sirius found that the floor had suddenly disappeared from beneath him. He was dangling a foot in the air, Ambrose's fist entwined in the cloth of his shirt front. Sirius gasped as he found Ambrose's face inches from his own and tried to twist away but his tired body slumped with the effort. "So weak," Ambrose sneered.

"Ambrose, let him be," Artifex growled, his voice so menacing that Ambrose released Sirius in surprise. Sirius dropped to the floor like a discarded toy and lay there, shaking with shock.

Ambrose turned to stalk away but Artifex was blocking the way in a flash. "You're not getting out of this," he snarled. "He is your fledgling; it is your responsibility to ensure that he sleeps. Do it. _Now_."

Ambrose's face twisted with anger before he turned stiffly to Sirius, his face a picture of pure loathing. "Come then, fledgling," he snapped, bending and grasping the back of Sirius's shirt. He dragged the boy to his feet and shoved him forwards. "This way."

Sirius half walked, half tripped down the corridor, Ambrose striding behind him all the while, grabbing him as he hit the floor and righting him again but refusing to be of any more help than that.

"This one," Ambrose said shortly, turning towards a dark wood door set in the wall to their right. He pushed open the door and picked Sirius up, dumping him unceremoniously into a coffin that stood on a pedestal in the middle of the room.

Sirius yelled in fright and twisted away, his fear lending him strength as he fought to get out but Ambrose pushed him down and held him by the shoulders.

"Sleep, fledgling," he snarled before straightening and letting go of Sirius' shoulders. Sirius made one last attempt to rise but Ambrose shoved him back and slammed the lid closed with a furious bang and all Sirius knew was darkness.

With a muffled gasp Sirius's eyes snapped open and he slammed his fists into the wooden boards at his sides, quaking with terror. For a second he had no idea where he was and panic threatened to overcome rational thought processes but as he ran his hands over the silken surfaces that enclosed him, memories came flooding back with a startling speed. He forced his breathing to slow and placed his hands at his sides, ordering himself to calm down.

He knew where he was; Ambrose's coffin. Now he was thinking clearly he realised he could smell his creator; the scent was everywhere, trying to engulf him. As panic welled in his chest again, Sirius placed his hands against the lid of the coffin, fingers splayed, and pushed. The lid turned out to be lighter than Sirius expected, or perhaps he was merely stronger that he had ever dreamed, and it shot off of the box and crashed to the floor with a loud bang that rocketed through Sirius's skull.

He winced before scrambling out of the red-lined coffin and landing on the stone floor more gracefully than the lid before him. Sirius quickly scanned the room, noting the desk against the wall. He wandered over to it and picked up the yellowed parchment lying on the surface. The elegant script that covered half of one side was clearly a letter; apparently Ambrose had been called away before he could complete it.

Sirius could barely make out the words and decided that the letter was unimportant and so discarded it and hurried away.

The corridor he recognised from before his sleep was now deserted and there were fewer torches lighting the stone walls and lush red carpet. Sirius debated for a second, wondering if he should take the left or the right. He knew that the left led to the front door and probable safety but the right led somewhere new, somewhere Sirius had never before explored. Another half second of thought made up his mind and he took the right, walking deeper into the castle and wondering if he was being extraordinarily unintelligent.

Several doors lined the corridor, set into the walls with large keyholes, the kind that can be found on church doors. Sirius wondered briefly if Artifex carried the keys around in his pocket and fought the hysterical urge to laugh. He found the lack of people in the caste unsettling but he pushed the feeling away, figuring they were all out hunting together and that he was safer if they were gone anyway.

Sirius tried a few of the doors but all of them were locked and he gave up eventually, deciding instead to walk around until he found Something Interesting. Something Interesting was a concept that James had thought of and it was generally called into play during a dare, when Remus was commissioned to sneak into the staff room and listen for Something Interesting, or when Sirius was sent into McGonagall's office to bring back Something Interesting. It was a game to the four boys. As it was, Something Interesting appeared in the form of a wooden door, identical to the others he had passed only he could hear things from beyond this one; the low hum of vampire voices, too quiet for human ears.

Sirius frowned at the door, memorising the patterns and shadows in the wood, committing them to memory; he knew, somehow, that this room was inexplicably important. From the sounds he could hear from inside, he gathered that a meeting was taking place. Before he could press his ear to the door to listen however, a familiar voice called order and silence fell.

Then, to Sirius's utter surprise, he was addressed from within.

'Sirius, you may come in.'

Sirius gasped and leapt away from the door as though burned. He heard the voice again, talking to somebody else and then a harsher voice that sent chills down Sirius's spine as he backed into the wall behind him, footsteps sounded, growing louder as they neared Sirius who stiffened in fear; he knew exactly who was coming. The door was flung open to reveal the figure of Ambrose, dressed in a thick black travelling cloak and wearing a scowl.

'Fledgling. In!' he barked. Sirius stared at him for several seconds before whirling around and starting to sprint. He heard a laugh and suddenly could feel stone arms locking him in a prisoner's embrace.

"Come now," Ambrose said smoothly, gripping the back of Sirius's neck and dragging him forwards. Sirius felt once again the desolate feeling that struggling was futile, only this time he accepted that and allowed himself to be pulled into the room and shoved into a chair.

"Sirius, welcome," Artifex greeted him from the head of the table. He was wearing much the same dress as Ambrose, only it was accompanied by a smile rather than a sneer.

Sirius gritted his teeth and shrank back into his chair.

"This is Sirius?" a short man sitting beside Sirius exclaimed. "_The_ Sirius?" The man reached forward and grabbed Sirius's hand, shaking it vigorously. "Pleasure to meet you," he babbled excitedly, "Artifex was telling us about you, about your fight. Do you know, once I had a fight with a werewolf, when I was only about 50 years a vampire. Only, I fought rather better than you seem to have," he said, noting the faint scar along Sirius's jaw and the lines across his hands. "I remember, he swiped at me, but I ducked and he-"

"Tacitus," Artifex interrupted gently but firmly. "Can we get back to matters of a more political nature?"

"Matters. Political. Nature. Yes, right, of course," Tacitus said quickly. "We're having a meeting you see," he said, turning to Sirius.

"I gathered," Sirius muttered, shrinking away from the gazes of at least thirty vampires seated at the long table.

"Yes, there was one memorable meeting, in 1826, which I remember clearly because that was the year Beth and I got married. It was a marvellous wedding, let me tell you. There were flowers and china patterns and suits and dresses and meals and wine and dancing and-"

"Tacitus," Artifex called.

"-guests and rings and vows and make up and-"

"Tacitus," Artifex repeated.

"-presents and music and there was this funny little man who-"

"Tacitus!" Ambrose barked sharply. Tacitus fell silent at once.

"Thank you, Ambrose," said Artifex dryly, noting the terror in Sirius's form and expression at the sound of Ambrose's voice. "Now, as you are all well aware, the minor fight between young Sirius and his werewolf friend has caused dispute among our kind and the Packs. Several of our more influential covens have suggested starting the war; however it is Cruis Gens who will have the final say. You are aware of my opinion on the matter, however I will not act without first hear your views."

"We fight," said Ambrose immediately.

"And disrupt the peace that has held for these past five centuries? No, we're better off calling truce once again," countered a blonde vampire not far from Sirius.

"No, this war has been in the making for dozens of centuries, why not start it now? We have the upper hand; we can win this!" called another.

When every vampire had had his say, Artifex turned to Sirius.

"And what is your opinion, Sirius?" he asked.

"You...you want to start a war over Remus and I?" he asked, horrified.

"Who?" Ambrose asked, quick as a flash, picking up on Sirius's slip.

"No...No one," Sirius stammered hurriedly, terrified. "I said, I said, 'over I'."

"Well that is terrible grammar," Tacitus began. "You know-"

"Tacitus, will you HUSH?" Ambrose snapped, gliding along the length of the table. He placed two fingers under Sirius's chin and forced the boy's face upward so that he could stare into Sirius's eyes. "I think you are lying," he said slowly, deliberately. "Now, tell me, Fledgling, who is 'Remus?'"

"He's no-one. I don't know him. He's like...an entity. An invisible person," Sirius babbled, thinking furiously.

Ambrose smiled cruelly and reached into his pocket, never taking his eyes from Sirius's, never removing his fingers from Sirius's chin. He placed something onto the table in front of Sirius, his eyes glinting. "Tell me, is this Remus?"

Sirius, with a sinking feeling in his stomach, turned to look at the object on the table. It was a photograph, taken just before the summer, on Hogwarts grounds. It showed four students, all in Hogwarts uniform, standing arm in arm and laughing at the camera. Sirius's own face jumped out at him, laughing contentedly and gazing at the camera with his hair blowing in the slight breeze.

James was standing on his left, glasses glinting in the afternoon sun, unruly hair an explosion around his head. On Sirius's other side stood Peter, looking almost painfully happy to be included. On James's right, with Ambrose's long, pale finger obscuring half of his face was Remus, smiling awkwardly at the camera and looking peacefully at ease, his robes rippling in the same breeze that had caught Sirius's hair .

"Oh, that's...um...that's Richard," Sirius muttered, trying to wrench his eyes from his human form. He hadn't noticed the changes in himself but, staring at this blatant evidence, they were impossible to miss. His hair was now slightly longer and silkier than before, the colour two shades darker than its previous jet black so that it was now a solid, coal colour that didn't shine in the light so much, rather it had a dark glow and he was also several inches taller but it was the smaller differences that were significant; his skin, once pale but with a healthy flush high on his angular cheekbones, was now the same shade as a corpse cold in the grave and had a odd, stone-like quality about it. The way he now held himself was different, more graceful and more aware, his body always ready to fall into a crouch and his yellow eyes were alert, conscious of every movement nearby.

"Richard?" Ambrose repeated scathingly.

"Yes," said Sirius, trying not to let his voice shake. "Richard...Lancelot."

"Richard Lancelot?" Ambrose said, a smile curling around his lips. "Not, say, Remus Lupin?"

Sirius gasped, unable to hide his surprise at Ambrose's knowledge. "What about the others? This one," he pointed at James, "this one I recognise. James...Potter, isn't it?"

Sirius nodded, too shocked to do anything else.

"The third, I believe, is a young boy by the name of Pettigrew, correct?"

Yes," Sirius whispered, dumbstruck.

"And the fourth, of course, is yourself. All of them are in Gryffindor house, fifth year. The werewolf has an interest in Arithmancy, I believe, and he has a peculiar taste for Marmite and chocolate spread, together on a piece of bread? The Potter boy is a Chaser for your House Quidditch team and has scored more goals than any Chaser at Hogwarts for a decade. Pettigrew's parents are deceased and he lives with his aunt and uncle, correct? Friends, are they?"

"Yes they are," said Sirius, rising slightly from his seat. "And if you do anything to them-"

"Relax, Fledgling, young Potter and Pettigrew are safe," Ambrose said, eyes alight with malice.

"What about Remus?" Sirius demanded through clenched teeth.

"The werewolf's safety I cannot guarantee," Ambrose continued, relishing in Sirius's fury. "With a war looming, there could be...accidents," he hinted darkly.

"Ambrose, leave him be," Artifex ordered sharply. "A truce will be called," he added, raising his voice slightly. "There will be no war."

Ambrose sent the High Vampire a murderous look but strode back to his place in defeat.

"The next matter we must deal with is, of course, Sirius's learning," Artifex continued.

"I'm doing fine at Hogwarts, thanks," Sirius muttered.

"Hogwarts?" Tacitus exclaimed. "I went to Hogwarts. Best years of my life they were. On my first day, I had Transfiguration, Charms and Potions. And on the second day, I had Herbology, Charms again, History of Magic and Defence Against the Dark Arts. On the third day we had flying and the broom I was riding was just terrible. It swayed and slowed and dipped and turned and -"

"Tacitus," said Artifex. "Now is NOT the time."

"Yes, right, okay, sorry, I mean, I just get carried away. Do you remember that time when I was talking about that house I was having built and I talked about the bricks and the windows and the foundations and the colours and the layout and the rooms and the gardens and-"

"Tacitus."

"Yes?"**  
**"You're doing it again."

"Oh, sorry. Really, I'm shutting up now. You won't hear another word out of me for the rest of the day. Promise. Well, maybe a few, if you ask me a question or something...maybe..."

Tacitus fell silent under Ambrose's glare.

"Anyway, Sirius, we do not mean your learning of school subjects. I am referring to your education concerning the laws of our kind, lessons teaching you control and demonstrations of how to use your powers."

Sirius blinked. "Oh...well, you know, I'm really fine..."

"It is compulsory," said Artifex. "Traditionally, the Creator teaches the Fledgling," he added, turning to Ambrose.

"No," said Ambrose sharply. "I refuse. I will not teach him."

"Ambrose-" Artifex began.

"NO!" Ambrose said loudly before turning and storming form the room.

Artifex pursed his lips and sighed. "I was afraid this would happen," he muttered.

"What will be done?" asked an educated-looking man, glancing at Sirius. "The boy

cannot be left untrained, but it is clear nothing is going to convince Ambrose."

There were several moments of silence during which Sirius wondered exactly what he had done to make Ambrose loathe him so, a question to which he would never receive a satisfactory answer.

"I will teach him," Artifex stated calmly.

Sirius turned to stare at the High Vampire.


	11. The Prank

**The Prank**

"Mr Black!"

Sirius jumped and twisted in his chair. "Yes Professor?" he asked innocently.

"Mr Black, do you know what I just said?" McGonagall asked, glaring over her glasses at him.

"'Mr Black, do you know what I just said?'" Sirius replied. James collapsed with laughter next to him, his head hitting the wooden desk with a painful sounding thump.

"See me after class Mr Black," McGonagall sighed. "And Mr Potter would you like to share with the class exactly what it is that you find so amusing?"

"N...No," James snorted. Sirius kicked him under the desk which put an end to the laughter.

As McGonagall proceeded with teaching her class once again Sirius continued staring out of the window. It had only been a week since Sirius had been back from the coven, one single week since Artifex had made his startling announcement yet it felt like years to Sirius who had dragged his way through lessons half-heartedly, thinking about his new life and the attachments that came with it. Ambrose scared him in a way he had never felt before; it was deep set and chilled him to the bone, freezing his insides when he thought of the hulking figure and yet Sirius could not stop thinking of him. Every thought was tainted with his deep voice, his prowling walk and his sneering face.

Sirius was almost glad he couldn't sleep; it saved him a whole lot of nightmares.

"Sirius?" James asked from beside him.

"What?" Sirius asked, turning reluctantly from the window; his week at the castle had been without sunlight for the protection of the coven and he had missed the silky feel of it across his skin, the soft caress of light across closed eyelids. He was extraordinarily glad for the potion Madam Pomfrey supplied him with that protected his skin from the fatal rays.

"What are you thinking about?" James questioned, doodling idly on the edge of his blank parchment.

"Halloween," said Sirius, turning to his friend and giving a small smile.

"No you weren't," James accused, glancing up from the broom he had scratched.

"No," said Sirius. "But we should be. We need a prank."

James grinned. "That's more like the Sirius I know," he said, leaning back on his chair contentedly.

"Sirius get _out_!" James yelled, pounding on the bathroom door furiously.

"Calm down, calm down. I'm about to make my grand entrance," Sirius called from within.

James sighed and moved away from the door to stand beside Remus who was leaning against the wooden post of his bed looking supremely bored and bookless.

Sirius kicked the bathroom door open ad strode proudly out, grinning at his friends.

"Excellent," James grinned, forgetting his previous annoyance as he took in Sirius' appearance.

He was wearing shredded jeans and an artfully mud splattered t-shirt. There was fake fur sticking up from the neck of his shirt and out the legs of his jeans whilst the same style of fur covered his hands which ended in plastic claws. He had huge, thick sideburns that were matted with fake blood and his teeth were red with food colouring that was also dribbling down his chin.

Sirius smirked. "I'm Remus," he stated. "Bark bark."

Remus scowled through his smile. "I don't bark," he said indignantly, his voice muffled by the plastic fangs in his mouth.

Sirius winked and then laughed as he realised what Remus was wearing. He had powdered his face with talc so it shone white in the candlelight, with fake blood running down his chin and covering his lips. His attire was entirely black and a black cape with a high collar and red lining adorned his shoulders, shrouding him in heavy material so totally that he looked lost.

"He looks good doesn't he?" said James proudly. James was wearing a suit and a black cloak with a vertical half mask obscuring his face. "I'm the Phantom of the Opera," he said in reply to Sirius's questioning glance.

"Right," said Sirius. "Yes...I know who that is..." He turned to the fourth Marauder who was standing slightly apart from the others. "What are you Pete?" he asked sarcastically, grinning at the white sheet thrown over the shorter boy's head. "There's no way you'd be a ghost. Again."

Peter laughed. "Actually, last year I was the ghost of a lawyer. This year I'm the ghost of a vegetarian."

James sniggered. "That's pretty cool."

Peter flushed and checked the time. "Shall we go downstairs?" he asked, heading towards the door. The others followed, itching with anticipation; tonight was the night they signed their names in Hogwarts history.

The Great Hall was dim, filled with an odd orangey glow from the hundreds of jack-o-lanterns floating above the students' heads. The hall had somehow grown thick green vines that snaked across the walls and floor, leaving only an area for dancing free. A hundred tables stood around the edges of the Hall, each and every one laden with mouth watering treats for the students and live bats gathered together, sometimes flying low over the heads of the crowd below. The ceiling looked somehow more blurry than usual, as though the charm was weakening but none noticed it.

Students had gathered in the middle of the Hall, dancing to songs played by a band of skeletons at the head of the hall, each and every one of them dressed for the occasion; everywhere were werewolves, vampires, devils, demons, hags, fairies, pixies and a number more that were lost in the tide of bodies swaying and twisting together in one knitted mass.

"Not bad," James remarked as he and his friends strode in with the confidence of boys who knew they were the epitome of Hogwarts students.

Remus gave a shy smile. "It's great; better than just a feast," he said, glancing round.

Sirius was looking slightly apprehensive; he hadn't been amongst such a number of bodies since he had been Turned and terror was pumping through him like little shocks of lightening.

James rubbed his hands together. "I wonder where my Lilykins is," he said gleefully, staring around for the poor girl.

"You know," said Sirius, turning away from the hot blooded mass of churning movement, "Maybe if you used her actual name she might like you more," he suggested. "I only ever call her Lily and she likes me just fine."

James scowled but didn't say anything.

"Look, maybe you should leave her alone for a bit; she's had a really rough time," Sirius said firmly. "Besides, I hear that girl from Ravenclaw you were watching likes you; maybe you should go after her."

"Really?" James asked hopefully, whirling around and staring in the opposite direction. "Maybe I'll look for her then. Is it Karen?"

"Katie," Remus corrected immediately.

"Katie, right. So we execute Operation Scare All Students In The Proximity To Death Or Heart Failure at nine o' clock sharp, okay?" James confirmed.

Remus checked his watch. "That givesh ush exshactly 48 minutesh and 26 shecondsh," he said.

Sirius gave him a look and sighed. "There's just no hope for you," he said sadly. "It's a shame really; you could've been great."

Remus blushed. "I like numbersh," he mumbled.

"Sorry, didn't catch that," said Sirius. "And I trust that you won't say it again so there's no need to reiterate." The vampire stalked away in disgust and was immediately lost in the crowd. Remus turned to speak to Peter but found that he was gone, also swallowed by the crowd.

"Oh," Remus muttered, surprised. He looked around and wandered slightly closer to the crowd but still kept his distance; he didn't like large numbers of people; they made him nervous.

"Hey," said a voice from behind him.

Remus jumped as though electrocuted and spun around. "Hey," he greeted thickly. Then he shook his head and removed the plastic fangs. "Hey," he repeated, stuffing them into his pocket.

Lily grinned. She was, Remus could only guess, an angel; she was wearing a white dress and white feathery wings. Her hair spilled weightlessly down her shoulders and perched atop of it was a glinting silver tiara. "Nice outfit. Let me guess...a fairy?"

Remus smiled shyly. "Close. I'm a vampire," he said, waving his arms so the cloak swished. "Grr..."

Lily laughed and poured some pumpkin juice into a goblet. "So have you done the Transfiguration essay?" she asked interestedly.

Remus shook his head sadly. "The others hid my book. They said we're going to have fun today," he said apprehensively.

Lily scowled. "They are so immature," she said furiously.

"No, no," Remus said hurriedly. "It's fine really; I wasn't going to do it until tomorrow anyway," he lied.

Lily shook her head, clearly not believing him. "So are you guys planning a prank?" she asked, glancing around. "And should I clear off?"

"Now why would you do that?" said a delicate voice from behind her. Sirius arrived and threw an arm around Remus' shoulder. "You'd miss all of the fun." He smiled warily, unsure of what her reaction towards him would be but he had nothing to be fearful of.

"Sirius Black, I know from years of experience that when you think something's fun, that's my cue to leave," she replied, grinning at him. "So you're like...a vampire?"

Remus looked sharply at Sirius.

"Well yes, but today I'm a werewolf as well," Sirius grinned, relived that she was still acting perfectly friendly towards him.

"She knows?" Remus muttered quietly.

"Yes, I worked it out," Lily replied for him.

Remus sent her an apologetic look. "Sorry, it's just-"

"Don't be," Lily waved him off. "Oh god, Potter's coming over. Quick, save me," she gasped.

Sirius shoved Remus forward. "Dance," he hissed, ushering them towards the dance floor.

Remus' face was plastered with shock but Lily looked relieved. "Thanks," she murmured as they swayed to the music.

"Er...no problem," said Remus, biting his lip and wondering what to do. One of Lily's hands were at his shoulders but his own were hanging uselessly at his ides. He placed them awkwardly on her waist and she laid her head on his shoulder. Remus was suddenly overcome by the smell of coconut shampoo and the soft sensation of hair tickling his neck. He smiled bashfully, and breathed deeply before allowing his own head to rest on her shoulder, a slow blush creeping up his cheeks as he danced with a girl for the first time.

At 8:59pm the four boys convened in a corner of the Great Hall, whispering furtively.

"So you all know what's happening?" James asked. "Maybe we should run through the plan one more time..."

"No," said Sirius pleadingly. "Please no more running through of the plan. We get it."

James bit his lip but shrugged. "If you're sure," he muttered.

"I am," Sirius replied. "Anyway," he added, throwing his head back, "The charm's fading; people'll notice soon."

"You're right," James agreed. "Okay, positions people."

The four boys spread into each corner of the room and produced their wands. Simultaneously, four watches beeped the hour nine and as one the Marauders cast a spell that shot four jets of purple light at the ceiling. There was a sound like a gunshot and the ceiling seemed to rip away, leaving in its place a translucent looking bag that stretched across the entire hall. Through it, those who looked up could see a mass of squiggling shapes. As more and more of the students noticed the giant bag and several teachers had started towards the Marauders there was an echoing bang as the doors swung shut. Sirius glanced at the others and James nodded. A burst of light, this time white, shot from Sirius's wand at the bag and it ripped across the middle, releasing the shapes and around half a dozen larger shapes that assumed form as they fell. At the same time the others enchanted the vines and they began to creep and slither across the floor like thousands of snakes. The first scream sounded as the students realised what the pale grey shapes that had slipped down their backs, in their hair and across their shoes actually were and chaos ensued. That was when the lights spluttered out and threw the Hall and its panicking students into darkness.

Sirius backed away into a corner as hot bodies rushed past him. He hadn't anticipated this; in the darkness, whilst the humans around him were so very vulnerable, his thirst had suddenly engulfed him in a fiery grip of agony that was near impossible to fight. His eyesight was perfect and he could see better than anyone in the chaos they had caused but it didn't fill him with satisfaction; instead he felt like screaming as a Second Year ran into him in a blind panic and his arms closed around the body instinctively, his throat screaming for the blood that rushed through the veins beneath the child's delicate skin. Sirius turned his head into the boy's neck, breathing in the smell of the hot blood, imagining the europium as it washed down his throat and cured his thirst. Sirius' fangs grazed the skin of the boy's throat before somebody barrelled into him and he released his catch in surprise. As he did so he whirled around and saw the prowling figure of Ambrose stalking towards him.

"You're not strong enough," Ambrose sneered, prowling closer. "Kill him. Prove yourself."

Sirius cried out as he fell backwards, having tripped on a root that had snaked around his ankle. He fell heavily against the wall and the vines immediately snatched him and bound him to them. The thick, tentacle-like ropes entwined themselves around his body, grabbing at his ankles and wrists, holding him captive. Sirius tried to struggle but the vines weren't easily broken and Sirius gave up, disgusted. Ambrose had disappeared and was now a giant wasp frightening a First Year who was screaming for help, her arms thrown protectively over her head.

"I'm sorry," Sirius choked, though he knew she couldn't hear him; nobody could. "I'm sorry," he repeated. As he looked around the hall, the sight filled him with shame. A few people had had the sense to pull out wands and the light of them illuminated the scene enough for others to see what was happening. Only three of the original boggarts were still active but three was enough to cause a terrible panic. Most of the maggots had been squished and the vines along the floor were coated with a grey, gloopy mess that occasionally squirmed and writhed. James was in the corner, trying to dispel a boggart, Remus was trying to disentangle himself from the vines and Peter was nowhere to be seen.

There was a loud crash as the doors suddenly burst open, revealing Dumbledore, McGonagall and a third, shorter person standing in the doorway. Both professors had their wands out. Their entrance was enough to spread silence throughout most of the Hall and several loud firecrackers from the end of McGonagall's wand was enough to quiet everyone else. Dumbledore dispelled the boggarts with a wave of his wand and turned to face his students.

"Would the persons responsible for this atrocity remain behind. I must ask everyone else to return to their Houses," he said gravely. There was no amusement in his voice and his eyes were blazing furiously. Sirius had never seen him so angry.

In silence the students evacuated from the Hall, everyone trying to get out at once. McGonagall shot several more firecrackers into the air and restored calm, ushering everybody out in the most orderly fashion she could manage. Sirius looked around, registering the devastation they had caused and realised just how much trouble he was in.

When the last few stragglers had left the Hall Dumbledore turned to the three Marauders, two of whom were still bound. Peter walked dismally behind McGonagall, looking painfully ashamed of himself and avoiding the eyes of his friends.

"Professor-" James began.

"Quiet Mr Potter," Dumbledore said harshly.

James fell silent and looked away, embarrassment and shame filling him to his core. Remus was still struggling with the vine around his ankle, trying to wrench himself free. He fell twice but eventually succeeded and made his way over to where the others were standing, near where Sirius was enclosed in vines.

"I don't think any of you realise the seriousness of the situation," Dumbledore said quietly, his vice filled with unhidden fury. "Students could have_ died_ as a result of your actions tonight."

"Professor, we-" James began again.

"No, Mr Potter. Do not interrupt me." Dumbledore turned to look at James who avoided his gaze. "Do not dare to tell me how sorry you are and don't try to tell me you didn't realise what would happen; you were fully aware of the consequences before this evening but you let your immaturity and your childish antics come before the safety of others. The four of you should be expelled from this school and be glad you are not receiving worse."

At his words Sirius felt his entire world crash around him and he fell slack against his bonds, shaking like a leaf and hating himself with such fury he was surprised it was silent.

"I am not going to expel you, not today," said Dumbledore seriously. "If only because it would be a waste of perfectly good talent." He turned to Remus. "I am removing your status as Prefect and you will receive detention every Saturday evening for the rest of the year."

Remus felt tears gather behind his eyelids and struggled not to make a sound as he reached into his pocket and produced his shiny new badge that had made his parents so proud. He remembered vividly the day he had received it, could feel the hug his mother had bestowed upon him, could hear the pride in his father's voice as Remus had shown them the badge over breakfast. They had been proud of him, for the first time in the years he could remember, he had made his parents proud and now he had betrayed them. His hand shook as he handed the evidence of five year's hard work over to his Headmaster and as he turned away the tear spilled down his cheeks and he stood with his shoulders slumped, remorse and shame burning through him and ripping at his heart.

Dumbledore then turned to James. "I am stripping your rights as Quidditch Captain and I'm removing you from the Gryffindor Quidditch team," he said gravely. "You can hand your robes in to Professor McGonagall tomorrow morning. You will also receive detention every Saturday night until the end of the year."

James nodded slowly, his shoulders hunched in defeat. His face was hidden but tears were splashing onto his hands which were clasped in front of him. "Yes Professor," he whispered.

Dumbledore looked at Peter. "Mr Pettigrew I am merely giving you detention every Saturday evening until the end of the year; you have redeemed yourself slightly by informing me of the situation."

Peter looked relieved. "Thank you Professor," he said quietly.

"Mr Black, I am banning you from the Quidditch team along with Mr Potter and you too will hand your Quidditch robes in tomorrow morning," Dumbledore intoned, turning to Sirius who nodded meekly. "I would also like to speak to you after your friends have left."

James, Remus and Peter took that as their cue to leave and hurried away. McGonagall followed after them to ensure they returned to the Common Room.

"Mr Black," Dumbledore sighed, stepping forward and releasing Sirius from the vines. "I'm afraid I am returning you to the coven," he said apologetically.

Sirius was stunned. "Wha...Why?" he asked feeling betrayed.

"I'm sorry but there are several hundred students in attendance at this school and an unruly vampire who cannot control himself is one danger I do not need to inflict upon them," Dumbledore said harshly. "You may return when Artifex truly believes that you have mastered control."

Sirius, who had refrained from showing emotion before, now swayed on his feet, blood filling his eyes. "Please...please don't," he whispered. "I don't want to go back there."

"You have no choice. You will wait here for the High Vampire to collect you. Do not leave this room."


	12. Mahogany and Black Silk

**Mahogany and Black Silk**

Sirius stood feeling empty as Dumbledore left him in the Hall. When the man was out of sight Sirius turned and kicked the wall as hard as he could but rather than relieving his frustration and fear it merely irritated him further because he didn't leave the slightest mark on the vines or the stone beneath. He slumped back in defeat, struggling to hold back the tears that were threatening to flow and tried not to think of how long it would be before he returned to this place.

A tall figure appeared silently in the doorway and stood watching the huddled boy with an odd kind of sorrow gently touching his face.

"Sirius," he said quietly, knowing that Sirius would hear him.

Sirius stared up in surprise and clambered to his feet as he realised who it was. "High Vampire..." Sirius stated awkwardly, fury etched across every contour of his face. "Would you like me to bow?" he asked sarcastically, sinking into a mocking crouch. "Or do I just promise you my soul?"

Artifex sighed inwardly. Never had he met such an infuriatingly annoying and arrogant fledgling. Ambrose had been haughty, but not like this. "Just Artifex is fine," he replied dryly. Under any other circumstances he would have been pleased that a fledgling was returning so soon but Ambrose was sure to kick up a storm if Sirius came back whilst he was present. He hadn't had time to warn anyone; Dumbledore rarely called sounding so angry and desperate and when he did Artifex felt he could hardly stop to call a meeting.

Sirius scowled for a second before sighing and slumping back into his original position, letting his head hit back against the wall and squeezing his eyes shut against the flow of blood that was trying to escape from his tear ducts.

"Sorry," Sirius murmured, eyes still closed.

"No matter," Artifex replied, moving to sit next to Sirius with astounding grace and swiftness. "But we should leave fairly soon; I've left my children unaccompanied and I don't wish for my castle to be destroyed."

"Your children?" A frown caressed Sirius's face as he registered the phrase.

Artifex smiled to himself. "Yes. My children," he said, pride licking at his tone.

Sirius opened his eyes, feeling awkward. He glanced away, unwilling to ask to the question that was burning at his tongue. Artifex was still smiling, as though he was aware of the question Sirius was desperate to ask but he didn't offer help; Sirius would ask when he was comfortable with knowing the answer.

"We should leave," Artifex said quietly, standing fluidly, his long body unfolding like an ironed shirt.

Sirius followed suit and Artifex headed for the doorway but Sirius stayed put. "How exactly are we getting there?" he asked nervously.

Artifex grinned. "The vampire way," he said simply.

Sirius looked suspicious but followed the vampire, carefully picking his way across the mess of slippery vines.

Artifex was already outside, standing at the bottom of the steps and waiting for Sirius. His eyes were glinting with anticipation.

"Come here," he said, beckoning Sirius over. "Hold on to me," he instructed. "And don't let go."

Sirius clutched at the fabric of Artifex's shirt. "What are you going to do?" he asked uneasily, glancing around.

Artifex merely smiled. Sirius opened his mouth to say something but the ground suddenly disappeared from underneath him and his bit his tongue savagely. He let go of Artifex in shock and fell for at least five metres before Artifex grabbed the back of his shirt and set off again.

"And now you know why you don't let go," Artifex muttered into Sirius's ear. His arms were locked around the fledgling's waist and his cloak billowed impressively behind him. Sirius's legs were dangling and he had his eyes wide open, unwilling to miss anything; this was better than flying on a broom by far. He felt weightless as Artifex carried him through the night, filled with adrenalin and pure joy that he suspected came from Artifex who was breathing deeply and laughing- a soft, delicate sound that made Sirius's heart dance and his stomach tingle.

Sirius could see the patchwork of fields passing beneath them and was able to pick out tiny houses and churches, even a few cars in the dark. His heart leapt, but not unpleasantly, as Artifex banked a sharp left and drifted at speed in a completely new direction, this time revealing the grey buildings and snake-like roads of a large city that Sirius couldn't name.

"Do you like your new world Sirius?" Artifex asked, his voice surprisingly audible over the rush of wind and blood beating in Sirius's ears.

"What do you mean?" Sirius called, his voice dancing away in the airstream.

"This, up here, it belongs to us," Artifex replied.

"Us?" Sirius asked doubtfully.

"Yes. And you too one day," Artifex told him, beginning the descent. From above the castle was a black, gothic structure; much as it was from the front, only from this angle Sirius could see the deadly angle of the spiked turrets and the thick forest beyond the walls of the castle. Artifex landed softly, silently, on the grass outside the wide oak doors and disentangled himself from Sirius. "Welcome home," he said quietly, before ascending the stairs and ushering Sirius inside.

It was much the same as the last time Sirius had visited, only this time there were no vampires in the hallway to witness his arrival.

"So...what am I supposed to do?" Sirius asked, glancing around.

"Whatever you want," Artifex replied.

"Okay, I want to go back to school," Sirius said immediately.

"Except that," Artifex amended. "You can go anywhere in the castle you like, except in the private chambers and I will advise you now to stay out of the forest."

Sirius shifted on his feet. "So what does that leave for me to do?" he asked.

"Well, you could talk with members of the coven. You could look around the castle. You could go to the library, or you choose a coffin," Artifex suggested.

Sirius grimaced. "Fun," he commented sarcastically.

"Why don't we find you a coffin?" Artifex questioned. "It's necessary and it'll be fun."

"Not my idea of fun," Sirius muttered. "Anyway, don't you have stuff to do?"

Artifex shrugged. "It can wait. Besides, I can leave Ambrose in charge until I get back."

Sirius winced. "Ambrose is here?" he asked fearfully.

"Yes. He's staying awhile to sort some things out," Artifex said.

"What things?" Sirius asked curiously.

Artifex shrugged. "No idea," he said. "But he said he needed to be able to contact other vampires from various covens with ease."

"Oh," said Sirius disinterestedly. "I bet he'll be glad to see me then," he mumbled.

Artifex laughed. "Ambrose takes some getting used to," he said fondly.

Sirius scowled. "I don't want to get used to him," he said stubbornly.

"Then don't," Artifex stated simply. "We need to go."

Artifex turned and led him away again, out of the door and down the steps.

"Don't you want to let Ambrose know he's in charge?" Sirius asked, glancing over his shoulder as the heavy wooden door swung shut of its own accord. They started walking down the street, into the darkness.

"He already knows," said Artifex, pulling up his left sleeve. "We wear these," he told Sirius, showing him a leather band with a metal disk with a hole in the centre sunk into the band to it so it lay flat across Artifex's wrist. "All of the covens have different ones. We can use them to communicate."

"What's the hole for?" Sirius asked, touching it gently. He yanked his hand back with a yelp. "That's silver!" he cried in surprise.

Artifex laughed. "Sorry," he said, reaching for Sirius's hand. "I should have warned you." He covered the wound with his palm and healed it, along with the spoon shaped scar.

Sirius stared at his hand in amazement. "How did you do that?" he asked in awe.

"It comes with the job," Artifex said casually. "The hole is a fang hole, of the High Vampire. It's how we distinguish the different covens."

Sirius frowned. "So do all of the vampires in a coven have the same fangs?"

Artifex nodded. "Yes," he said. "It's like inheritance, I suppose."

"So, technically, could the original High Vampire of this coven put his fang hole in a disk and it would be exactly the same as the hole in your bracelet?" Sirius asked interestedly.

"Technically yes, only, when a new High Vampire leads the coven, the holes are remade as a mark of loyalty from the High Vampire to the coven and vice versa," Artifex explained. "All vampires wear them, only not all of them are bracelets."

"Do I have to wear one?" Sirius asked, looking at his wrist. Suddenly he liked how bare it was, how he could see the pale skin.

"Not yet. After your initiation you will though," Artifex said, turning down a side alley.

Sirius's shoulders slumped but he didn't comment. "Why are they made of silver?" he asked instead.

"Tradition," Artifex said simply. "I don't know why they used silver in the first place but it's lasted a long time and no vampire wants to be the one to break traditions so old," he said. "Except Ambrose," he added.

"Ambrose?" Sirius asked in confusion.

Artifex nodded. "He's broken tradition by not taking on your training," he said sadly. "I'm fairly sure that when he's High Vampire the discs will be made of steel or something similar. He likes to be different."

"Ambrose will be High Vampire?" Sirius asked, eyes wide.

"And you too, someday," Artifex said, turning to look at Sirius.

"Me?" Sirius repeated in amazement.

"It runs through the line," Artifex replied, coming to a halt in front of a battered looking shop with a blank window and a 'Closed for refurbishment' sign in the door. "It's been 'closed for refurbishment' for twenty years now," Artifex commented casually in an attempt to lighten the mood. Sirius was not to be distracted however.

"I don't want to be High Vampire," Sirius proclaimed as Artifex pushed open the locked and bolted door with apparent ease.

"Why ever not?" Artifex asked as he stepped inside and strode to a door at the back. "You'll get the best room in the castle," he added, as though this was the major highlight of being the leader of an immensely powerful group of vampires.

"I don't care; I'd rather sleep in the cellar," Sirius protested. "Why do I have to be High Vampire?"

"When I...die, for lack of a better word, and when Ambrose 'dies', you will have the most influence over the coven purely because you are the fledgling of the High Vampire and thus will have the most extensive powers," Artifex said, leading Sirius through a room equally as shabby as the front of the shop.

"What can kill a vampire?" Sirius asked casually, mentally preparing himself to take essays of notes.

Artifex gave him a sidelong look. "Well, the heat of the midday sun would kill you after a few minutes," he said eventually.

"But the potion..." said Sirius in confusion.

"That will only work for the first few years, whilst you are a fledgling," Artifex said sadly. "After that the sun is poison, even with your potion."

Sirius felt something inside him break. "So...does that mean..." Sirius could not bring himself to say the words but Artifex seemed to know what he meant.

"It means that sooner or later you will have to say your goodbyes to the sun," Artifex finished for him. "It means you will no longer be able to see your friends, or family."

Sirius felt blood well in his eyes as he felt his insides shrivel.

"It happens to us all," Artifex said softly.

Sirius turned away.

"We will make an excuse for your family; they will not have to worry when you disappear," Artifex said carefully, realising how upset Sirius was.

"I don't care about them," Sirius said furiously. "And they won't worry."

Artifex frowned. "Then what's wrong?"

He sounded genuinely concerned but all Sirius could feel was misery and a sudden fury. "What do you think?" he said loudly, his voice shaking a little. "You've just told me that in a few years I will never be able to go outside in the day again, so I'll never be able to have a normal life, I'll never be able to see my friends. What did you expect? Euphoria? A little dance to show my _happiness_?" Sirius ranted furiously.

"Do your friends know?" Artifex asked calmly, knocking on the door.

"Don't try to change the subject," Sirius said, glaring at the man.

Artifex ignored the comment. "If they know, they will understand when you leave," he said, leaning casually against the door.

Sirius averted his gaze. "One of them knows," he muttered unwillingly.

"Just the one?" Artifex said in surprise. "Would that be Remus?"

Sirius scowled. "Yes," he replied stonily.

"Ah. I suppose he can relate rather well," Artifex commented. "After all, being a werewolf is no picnic."

"How would you know?" Sirius asked sharply. "You're a vampire; they're completely different."

"I am aware of that," said Artifex dryly. "However, when I was mortal, my profession was that of a werewolf hunter."

Sirius gasped. "You were a werewolf hunter?" he repeated in shock.

"One of the best," Artifex said quietly. "Actually, it's one of the reasons I was Turned."

"Why did you hunt werewolves?" Sirius questioned, furious again. "They're just people."

Sirius had always been passionate about the killing of magical creatures, something that had only intensified when he started Hogwarts. When Sirius found out about Remus his ideas and beliefs about the killing of werewolves in particular had strengthened to a level that surprised even Sirius.

"It was my job," Artifex said. "I protected the people of my town from a monthly nightmare."

Sirius' jaw clenched and he turned to stalk away when the door opened and Sirius felt a hand grasp his arm.

"Ah, Garson," Artifex greeted warmly. "I hope you are well."

"Very well thank you," replied a man's voice. Sirius couldn't see him as his back was turned but from what he could make out of the reflection in the grubby window Garson was a short man, at least a head and a half shorter than Artifex, and he wore workman's clothing.

"That is good," Artifex said sincerely. "Has your wife had the baby?"

"She's still expecting," Garson answered. "And who is this?"

"This," said Artifex, swinging Sirius around, "Is Sirius. He is the new fledgling."

Sirius blinked in surprise and Artifex laughed at his expression. "Garson is an old friend," he explained. "He knows what we are."

"I didn't know your kind Turned them so young, Artifex," Garson commented, looking Sirius up and down. "Is he yours?"

"No," said Artifex. "Though it feels like it. Ambrose Turned him a few months ago, and hasn't had anything to do with him since."

Garson made a face. "I can't say I'm surprised. He never did seem the paternal sort. I suppose you've come to have him fitted?"

Artifex smiled. "If you would," he said graciously.

"It will be my pleasure," replied Garson. "I'll just get my tape measure," he said, hurrying away. "You know the way to the workshop," he called back over his shoulder. Sirius winced at the loud sound of his voice.

"I'm sorry," Artifex apologised. "He forgets how sensitive we are."

Sirius looked away, unwilling to talk to the High Vampire. Artifex sighed and started walking away down a corridor, pulling Sirius along behind him. They turned into a stone walled room with wooden benches all over the place, tools hanging on the walls and several coffins propped against a far wall.

"Sorry about that," Garson said, coming back into room with a tape measure over his shoulders and a pencil behind his ear. "If you would like to lie on here," he said to Sirius, gesturing to a wooden table.

Sirius stared at it apprehensively and didn't move. "I don't want a coffin," he said quietly.

Garson glanced at Artifex who turned to Sirius. "Sirius, you must have a coffin. Now lie on the table and be measured or I will put you on the table myself," he said firmly.

Sirius's eyes had acquired a stubborn look and his jaw set. "I will not," he said defiantly.

Artifex sighed and moved so quickly Sirius wasn't sure what happened until he found himself on the table half a second later.

"I do apologise," Artifex said to Garson. "I'm afraid he doesn't understand much of our way of life yet."

Garson laughed. "I shouldn't worry Artifex, my eldest is about his age and acts in exactly the same manner," he said. "I suppose it's a phase."

"If it is it is a phase he will be going through for eternity," said Artifex, looking a little worried. He had his hand on Sirius's shoulder, keeping him down, and was looking at Garson across the table.

Garson laughed sympathetically. "I feel for you Artifex," he chuckled. "I really do. At least now you can try your hand at parenting."

"I don't need parents," Sirius said sullenly.

Garson held out the tape measure and measured Sirius all over before stepping back. "What wood would you like?" he asked Sirius who had stood up as soon as Artifex had removed his hand.

"I don't care," said Sirius, shrugging.

Artifex sighed. "Mahogany, please Garson," he said, throwing him an apologetic look.

"Very good," muttered Garson scribbling on a piece of paper. "And the lining?"

Artifex glanced at Sirius and answered for him. "Black," he said, without hesitation. "For family's sake."


	13. Meeting Caius and an Argument

Sirius and Artifex made their way silently back to the castle, the only sounds being Sirius's light footsteps and the slight whistle of wind in the air. When they reached the castle Artifex turned to Sirius with an expression on his face that Sirius had never seen before.

"I'm telling you now, so you are forewarned; Ambrose knows you're here, and he's none too happy about it. I'm going to show you to your room and I advise you to stay there until I have met with him. After that, you may do as you wish but you may not leave the castle," he said gravely. "I'm sorry to say it but I fear for your safety whilst Ambrose is around."

Sirius scowled and turned away, refusing to look at Artifex. "I don't care," he said stubbornly.

"I do," Artifex replied simply. He turned to open the doors and led Sirius through the castle, pointing out where various members of the coven slept, where meetings were held, the library, a ballroom. He stopped outside a wooden door on the second floor, exactly the same as all of the others Sirius had seen.

"This is your room," said Artifex, pushing the door open.

Sirius walked in and his eyebrows shot up in surprise; the room was impressively majestic, with a fire burning in the grate against the far wall. A large double bed stood in the middle of the room, its four posts reaching high above Sirius's head. The covers were a luxurious, deep purple in colour. Sirius ran his hand across the pillow and certified that they were made of a finely spun silk before he turned to look at the rest of the room. In one corner stood a large oak desk with, carved from one block of wood. It had the feet of a lion and a leather covering on the top to make it easier to write. There was a raised stone platform at the opposite end of the room that Sirius averted his eyes from; he didn't want to think of what would soon fill its empty space. Next to the desk stood a huge mirror that Sirius glanced into to see his once pale reflection staring back at him, black hair in a mess at the top of his head. His werewolf costume was in tatters from the vines and most of the fake fur had come off of his face, but the fake blood remained, staining his face bright pink with darker streaks where the blood had been. The ripped jeans now had even larger holes and his t-shirt was filthy. Sirius sighed; he hated looking a mess, something he supposed stemmed from being brought up to always look the best he could. There was a huge wardrobe slightly behind the bed and a dark wooden bookcase in a corner, next to which stood a squashy armchair and a small table with a candle on.

"You may bring books from the library up here, as long as you return them," Artifex said, noticing where Sirius was looking. "I must go now, but my room is directly beneath here and Ambrose's is upstairs. Tacitus is along the corridor , but I'll leave you to get acquainted with the others. Do not come to my rooms in the next hour," he repeated sombrely, turning to leave. "There are clothes in the wardrobe if you wish to change," he added before disappearing down the corridor and downstairs.

Sirius shut the door and walked immediately to the wardrobe. He pulled both doors open and the smell of new clothes and wood hit him like a battering ram. He reeled backwards, his nostrils stinging and he moved away from the door and sat on the bed, his head spinning; he had not expected such an assault, especially not when his senses were heightened as they were now due to thirst and fear. He lay back, staring at the purple canopy above him for several minutes to allow himself to recover and to let the strong scent dilute itself.

When he could think clearly again he moved to the wardrobe again. The scent was still strong, but not to the same extent. He riffled through the clothes, shocked to find things he liked and he was sure would fit, and pulled out a pair of black jeans and an Iron Maiden t shirt. He frowned at them for a second before stripping and changing. As he had suspected, they were a perfect fit. Sirius closed the doors of the wardrobe and was just wondering what to do when a knock sounded on the door.

"Er...come in..." Sirius called awkwardly, unsure of what to do.

Tacitus burst into the room, grinning over his face and bounded over. "I'm sorry, I know Artifex said to wait for you to come and find us rather than coming in ourselves but I _had_ to come in," he babbled excitedly, sitting heavily on the bed and pulling Sirius down as well. "So what do you think of your room?" he asked interestedly, looking around. "Artifex did quite well, didn't he?"

"Artifex did this?" Sirius asked in amazement, slightly overwhelmed by the over-friendly vampire.

"Yes," said Tacitus, nodding enthusiastically. "He wouldn't let anyone else come in; I don't think he trusts us around you," he said with a slight frown.

Sirius looked surprised. "Why not?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Well, I suppose you wouldn't know but Artifex has something of a soft spot for you, I _swear_ he thinks you're his true fledgling. I tell you that man gets more obsessive about you by the day, worrying about what you're doing, if you're safe, if you're drinking enough," Tacitus said with the air of someone who has wanted to vent for a long time but hasn't had anyone to talk to. "It terrifies him that you go out in the sun; he's so worried the potion will suddenly stop working, or that you'll forget to take it. It's very tiring, listening to him worry," Tacitus sighed.

"I'm...sorry?" Sirius tried, unsure of what to say.

"It's not your fault," said Tacitus, standing and looking around the room. "I'm sure it'll go over time. I hope, anyway."

Sirius stood awkwardly, not sure what to do with himself. He settled for standing awkwardly and watching Tacitus. "So, er, Ambrose really doesn't like me, huh?" he asked, hoping for some insight as to why.

"Oh he hates you," said Tacitus cheerfully. "I mean, I guess he hates most people but there really is something special about you. You know, one time, he and I were hunting together, I can't remember why but he said-"

"Do you know why he hates me?" Sirius interrupted, unwilling to let Tacitus start ranting again. "Has he said anything?"

"Nope, not a thing," Tacitus replied. "Then again he doesn't speak to me anyway. You're better off speaking to Caius; he's the closest thing Ambrose has to a friend here."

"Where's Caius?" Sirius asked immediately.

"In his room," said Tacitus, rather unhelpfully in Sirius's opinion as he didn't know where that was.

"Where's that?" Sirius questioned, trying not to get annoyed.

"Down the corridor. I'll show you," he said brightly, springing away to the door and stepping out.

Sirius followed him immediately and turned several corners before they stopped outside a door. From inside Sirius could hear giggling and thumping.

Tacitus knocked on the door and waited. It opened shortly after to reveal a vampire Sirius recognised from his previous visit. He was tall with mid-length blonde hair and eyes that were yellow with vertical pupils. He had a perfect abdomen which Sirius could see because the man was topless, wearing only shorts.

"Oh, it's Sirius," he said, grinning at the fledgling. "Hang on." He shut the door and from inside Sirius heard two low voices and seconds later Caius opened the door again, this time fully clothed in blue jeans and a plain white t-shirt. There was a woman with long blonde hair sitting on his bed wearing what Sirius guessed was one of Caius's t-shirts and long shorts. "This is Gwen," he said with a love struck smile. He moved to sit next to her and took her hand in his. "She's an unofficial member of the coven," he added.

"Hello...Why unofficial?" Sirius asked, glancing at her.

"Females aren't allowed to be initiated," Caius explained.

"What?" Sirius said loudly. "That's pathetic, why not?"

Caius shrugged. "I don't know, Artifex has tried to change it but the other covens won't go for it. But Gwen's as close as you can come to being a member without actually being a member," he said, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it.

Sirius looked around; the room was almost identical to his, the only differences being that there were books on the shelf and a few personal items scattered around.

"So, is there a reason you came to visit, or are you just trying to meet everyone?" Caius asked. "You can sit down by the way," he added, gesturing to the chair by the bookshelf. Sirius pulled it closer and sat down whilst Tacitus hovered uncertainly, quiet for once.

"Well, both I guess," said Sirius. "Tacitus said you might know why Ambrose doesn't like me, and I was wondering about it..." he said, his voice trailing away.

Caius laughed. "He is a little anti-social towards you, isn't he? Well, he didn't say anything to me about it, only that he never wanted to Turn you," he replied, looking apologetic.

Sirius scowled. "That's it?" he asked incredulously. "I didn't _ask_ him to damn me to this," he said furiously. He stood up and pushed the chair back.

"I know, it's really unfair of him to Turn you and then abandon you," Caius said in an attempt to be sympathetic. "It was well out of order," he added, looking a little smug.

"Honey," said Gwen gently. "Not wishing to hurt your feelings but you really shouldn't try to act young and speak like the youth." She was looking at him, an expression of mock sternness on her face which was spoilt by the fact that her eyes went soft when he looked at her.

"I can be young!" Caius protested, pretending to be offended.

"Of course you can," Gwen replied patronisingly, patting him on the knee.

"Well, there'll be no hugging from me tonight," said Caius, turning away and pouting. Gwen merely laughed at him and caught a lock of his hair, pulling him back so he fell into her lap.

"Uh, I'm going to go..." said Sirius, stepping hurriedly away with Tacitus hot on his heels. When he closed the door he could hear them giggling again.

"Sorry about them," said Tacitus. "They're quite open about their relationship."

Sirius shrugged. "It's okay, I mean, if they love each other..." He didn't finish the sentence, unsure of how to.

Tacitus was being extraordinarily quiet but his head was bent and Sirius could see blood running down his cheeks.

"What's wrong?" Sirius asked in alarm.

Tacitus took a breath, his shoulders heaving. "She reminds me of Beth," he whispered miserably, his voice cracking.

"Your wife?" Sirius asked, stopping in the corridor.

"Yes." Tacitus stopped as well and covered his face, his breath coming in gasp which he seemed unable to control. "I'm sorry," he moaned. "It's just whenever I see them together, I'm reminded of what we had. I miss her so much," he breathed, seeming to fold in on himself.

Sirius stood, stunned, unsure of what to do; he had never faced a situation like this before and had no idea how to react. He reached out awkwardly and patted Tacitus on the shoulder.

"It's okay," he mumbled sheepishly, feeling idiotic.

Tacitus gave a sob and moved away. "I'm going back to my room," he said quietly before walking slowly down the corridor with his shoulders hunched over. Sirius stared after him for a few seconds before spinning into his own room and collapsing on the bed in relief, glad that the little episode was over; he was terrible at being sympathetic and comforting.

He stared up at the canopy of purple, wondering what he was supposed to do now. He considered looking at the library so he could fill Remus in when he got back to school but that was too boring. He then thought that he should maybe go and meet the other vampires but the thought of that made him shiver, despite the fact that both Caius and Tacitus, the only 'normal' vampires he had met so far seemed to be quite, well...normal.

He rolled onto his stomach, took a deep breath of freshly laundered bed sheets before sitting again and staring around, feeling hopelessly bored.

As he stood he heard voices from beneath him and frowned before remembering what Artifex had said; _I must go now, but my room is directly beneath here._ Was that Ambrose and Artifex arguing?

Sirius considered for a split second before turning and making for the door. He stopped next to it and listened outside but it was silent. The corridor was deserted, much to Sirius's delight, and silent save for, once again, muffled giggling from Caius's room. Sirius reached the door at the end and frowned, searching his memory for the directions back downstairs. Taking a left he followed another hallway and found a set of stairs. When he reached the bottom he realised that he had come the wrong way and so turned back and went right instead. At the bottom of these stairs he grinned, recognising where he was. He beat the path to where Artifex had said his room was and came to a large wooden door with the words High Vampire carved onto a piece of metal and ingrained in the door.

The shouting was much louder now that he was outside and Sirius found that he recognised Artifex's usually calm voice, raised in anger and arguing with someone who could only be Ambrose. Sirius leant closer and realised that he could make out the words they were yelling.

"...belong here!" Ambrose was saying furiously. There was a thump and a crack that led Sirius to believe that Ambrose had hit a table in anger.

"He is a fledgling of the coven!" Artifex yelled loudly, fury pumping through each syllable.

"He doesn't deserve to be a member of this coven!" Ambrose screeched. "He is fifteen years old Artifex," he added, almost pleadingly.

"You made him Ambrose and it is high time you accepted that he _is _a part of this coven; you ensured that the night you Turned him," Artifex said, clearly struggling to keep his voice level.

"I will not accept that!" Ambrose said angrily. "Such a coven as this should not be contaminated by a pathetic child."

"Ambrose! _You_ bit him. _You_ fed from him. _You_ left him. This is _your_ fault, no one else's," Artifex cried, just as enraged.

Sirius could almost see the scowl he was sure would be plastered across Ambrose's face. "He was supposed to _die_," hissed Ambrose, his voice shaking. "I _meant_ for him to die. That's why I left the runt."

Sirius slumped against the door, shocked to his core; he had known that Ambrose didn't like him but he had not expected that Ambrose had tried to kill him that night.

"You wanted to kill him?" Artifex asked, his voice soaked in sorrow. "You tried to kill that boy?"

"Of course I did; his _blood,_" Ambrose moaned furiously. "He tasted awful, you cannot imagine. Dirty blood, he has. Tainted."

Sirius felt what little blood he had in his veins run cold; why was Ambrose saying these things? Sirius could remember how Ambrose had looked, stalking towards him in that alley. He remembered with clarity the expression of pure joy on the vampire's face as he fed. He couldn't understand what Ambrose was trying to do but he didn't like it, he felt that he should open the door and stop the argument before something terrible happened but he couldn't bring himself to, not whilst Ambrose was in the room.

"Tainted?" Artifex asked sceptically.

"You should not trust him," Ambrose said simply, his voice calmer.

"Why shouldn't I?" Artifex asked, sounding offended.

"You cannot understand as I can," Ambrose said smoothly. "I, who drank those precious drops and released the venom, I, who drank the human blood his body held, I understand as only a Creator can. You must listen Artifex; that fledgling will be the destruction of this coven. We need to get rid of him; we must kill him, and soon. Before the initiation."

Sirius fell to the floor, his legs unable to support him as the reality of the situation hit him suddenly; Ambrose wanted him dead. He knew that staying where he was was suicidal but he couldn't move; shock and fear had rooted him to the spot.

"Let me take him tonight," said Ambrose, his voice delicate. "I'll dispose of him in the easiest way. It would be painless. Almost. It is more than he deserves at any rate."

"You may not care about that child Ambrose but I do," Artifex replied, his voice seething with suppressed anger. "You will not touch him, you are to stay away from him, you understand?"

"Artifex-" Ambrose began, sounding panicked. "You don't understand-"

"I understand perfectly Ambrose," Artifex said coldly. "You are excused."

Sirius, terrified of Ambrose coming out and finding him, tore up the stairs, the feeling suddenly returning to his legs in a sharp burst of pain. He sat on the landing above, leaning against a wall, praying that Ambrose wouldn't come up. He heard the infuriated vampire storm out of Artifex's study and march away in the opposite direction to Sirius who felt such relief he nearly fainted. Slowly, he stood and walked back to his room with blood in his eyes and fear in his heart.


	14. Male Bonding Time

**Male Bonding Time**

A soft knock sounded on the door of Sirius' bedroom, making the young fledgling's chest shrink in fear of Ambrose striding in.

"Come in," he tried to say, but his breath caught as the words were halfway out and they sounded as a kind of muffled choke. The person outside seemed to understand however and the door swung open to reveal Artifex. Sirius let out the breath he had been holding and felt his limbs shake with relief.

"You heard Ambrose and my conversation," Artifex said by way of greeting, noticing Sirius' fear. It wasn't a question, it was a statement.

"Sorry," Sirius whispered. "I couldn't help it, I-"

"Don't be sorry," Artifex said softly, walking into the room and closing the door. "It was natural; I shouldn't have tried to keep it from you."

Sirius gave a shaky laugh. "I guess that saying about eavesdroppers is true," he said as Artifex sat down on the bed beside him.

"It was natural," Artifex said firmly. He reached into his pocket and pulled from within a bottle of blood which he pressed into Sirius's hands.

Sirius didn't reply; he wasn't sure what to say, but he uncorked the bottle and swallowed the liquid inside, relishing in the metallic taste and the heavy weight of it as it slid down his throat.

"Do you like your room?" Artifex asked casually, glancing around.

"It's great," said Sirius, relieved at the change in conversation. "Tacitus said you did it...?"

Artifex smiled, almost shyly. "I want you to feel at home here," he said simply.

"Thank you," Sirius said sincerely.

"Don't mention it," Artifex replied. "Did you meet any of the others?"

"Caius," Sirius said with a small smile. "He and Gwen seem very happy."

Artifex nodded. "They are," he said proudly, "He's a right grump when she isn't with him though."

There was a muffled call of "I heard that!" through the wall which made Sirius start.

"They can hear through the walls?" he asked in surprise.

"Only if he's nosy and decides to listen," Artifex said, his lips pulling up at the corners.

"Hey!" Caius said, suddenly framed in the doorway. "If you're going to insult me, at least do it to my face." He pouted before moving into the room and sinking into the chair by the bookshelf. "Ambrose isn't happy I take it?" he asked, suddenly serious.

"No more than expected," Artifex replied with a sigh. "We'll need to initiate Sirius soon."

Sirius gaped at Artifex in alarm. "Initiated?" he repeated, looking apprehensive.

Caius laughed. "It'll be fun," he grinned.

"_Somehow_ that doesn't make me feel any better," Sirius said, glaring at him.

"It has to be done soon Sirius; we've left it late as it is," Artifex said softly, as though trying not to scare him.

"Can't I have a little more time?" Sirius asked desperately. "I like being free."

"You'll still be free Sirius," Artifex said comfortingly.

"And besides, it sounds like Ambrose means business," Caius said, none too helpfully. "It'll be safer if you're initiated."

Artifex turned to glare at Caius as Sirius began to tremble. "What he means is that it is against the law for a vampire to attack one of his own coven; the punishment currently stands at death. Ambrose wouldn't dare attack you," he reiterated.

Sirius took a shaky breath. "But he could attack me now, and get away with it?" he asked, terrified.

"Technically, y-" Caius began before Artifex silenced him with a meaningful look.

"No," Artifex said, slightly more comfortingly than Caius.

"But you just said-" Sirius frowned, struggling to remember; he was so afraid, all of his thoughts had become one streaming mass running around in his head too fast to make any sense of.

"He won't attack you because I will not let him," Artifex said firmly. "Whilst you are with me, you are safe."

Sirius glanced away. "But when I'm not..." He didn't bother finishing the sentence; he knew the answer. He sighed. "When?" he asked simply, looking up at Artifex whose face broke into a true smile.

"It will have to be tonight; the sun is already high, it's not safe for us," Artifex said, reverting back to his formal manner of speaking. "You must stay with me for today."

Sirius nodded and stood with the two of them. Caius bounded gracefully out of the room to find Gwen, leaving Sirius and the High Vampire alone together.

"Follow me," Artifex said, striding away. He led Sirius back to his rooms and pushed open the door, gesturing for Sirius to go inside before him.

The High Vampire's room was larger than Sirius', with a desk at least twice as long as Sirius' along one wall, a sleek black coffin on a raised platform and a huge bed in the middle of the room. The layout was much the same except Artifex had several cupboards around the walls and a door opposite the one through which they had just entered. The room itself however was much grander; the fireplace was tall enough for Sirius to stand in and jump up and down without coming close to the top, the bed looked big enough to build a house on and the desk was carved more intricately though how that was possible Sirius was unsure.

Sirius glanced around, unsure of what to do with himself.

"You can do what you like," Artifex said, as though reading Sirius' mind. "You can read my books, write a letter, catch up with schoolwork. The only thing you may not do is go through that door," he added, pointing to the other door.

"Why not?" Sirius asked, looking at it. "Is it a secret closet?"

"Not quite so interesting, I'm afraid. It's merely the courtyard, but the sun is up and you would not survive if you were to step outside," Artifex replied dryly.

"Oh," Sirius said. "Well...I guess I'll just read then." He walked over to the small library in the corner of the room and began searching for a book, not sure if he wanted this day to go slowly or quickly. With a small sigh he plucked a book from the shelf at random. It was a deep brown in colour, the embossed title shining gold in the candlelight. Sirius glanced at it as he fell into the armchair.

"'_Hard Times'_", he read from the cover. "'_An in-depth study of the Great War of 512 BC_'. Sounds riveting," he said sarcastically, placing it on the table in disgust.

Artifex glanced round. "Not to your liking?" he asked, eyebrows raised.

"Not really," Sirius mumbled, shifting in the chair and looking around again.

Artifex sighed and turned completely around in his chair so he was facing Sirius. "I guess there's not really much for you to do here in the day," he said apologetically.

"I'd noticed," Sirius muttered. He glanced at the book on the table again. "So...were you alive for that war?" he asked interestedly.

Artifex laughed, making Sirius shiver pleasantly inside. "My god, no," he said, still smiling. "That was centuries before my time."

"So...how old are you?" Sirius questioned, turning his head to the side slightly.

Artifex was silent for a few seconds before he replied. "I was Turned 957 years ago," he told the fledgling. "I was 32."

Sirius sat in shocked silence for a few moments. "You're 957 years old?" he asked in amazement.

Artifex nodded, a small smile curving his mouth into a half smile. "And still young."

Sirius leaned against the back of the chair. "And how long have you been High Vampire?"

"About a century," Artifex replied with a shrug. "I'm fairly new to the job."

Sirius' eyebrows shot into his fringe but he didn't comment. "When did you Turn Ambrose?"

"Ambrose is about 250," Artifex said, casting his mind back. "He was drowning when I Turned him."

"Drowning?" Sirius asked in amazement, unable to picture it.

Artifex laughed quietly. "Oh yes," he said. "I suppose you wouldn't really know; Ambrose was what you would call a pirate whilst mortal."

Sirius laughed out loud, clutching his stomach. "A pirate?" he repeated in disbelief. "He was a pirate!"

Artifex sat watching the boy with faint amusement for several minutes until Sirius managed to stop himself and look up though he was smiling wide enough for Artifex to see his young milk fangs that would re-grow tonight.

"He had fallen overboard but it seemed nobody had noticed. I happened to be swimming nearby and so I took him," Artifex continued as though there had been no interruption.

"You were swimming out far enough for there to be pirates?" Sirius asked.

Artifex nodded. "We can swim exceptionally well due to our strength and as we don't have a vital need to breath, staying under is simple. It's very peaceful underwater."

Sirius leaned forward, intrigued. "We can swim underwater?" he breathed, eyes shining with excitement.

"Of course," Artifex responded. "It's very straightforward. Many of our kind spend years underwater, only coming to the surface to hunt every once in a while. It's nice you see, because the light stops at a certain point; we don't have to shy from the sun."

Sirius grinned, the thought of nights spent under the lake tantalising him. He wanted to go back to school so badly it hurt.

"How long do you think it'll be until I can go back?" he asked.

Artifex pursed his lips for a second, not needed Sirius to elaborate; he knew exactly what the boy was asking about. "After the initiation, it will probably be less than a week if you are willing to work hard," he replied.

"Is that all?" Sirius asked in amazement, having thought it would be a matter of months.

"Of course, you will have to return periodically to master new skills and attend various meetings and, as you know, you will join us permanently in a few years but yes, that is all, if you are willing to put the effort in," Artifex replied, smiling at Sirius' obvious joy and excitement.

"I am," said Sirius definitely. "I will," he added, almost to himself, nodding vigorously.

Artifex smiled and turned back to his desk to continue with his letter writing.

"Artifex," Sirius said, drawing out the 'r'.

"What do you want?" Artifex asked without looking round. "If you're going to ask to go back to school now, the answer's no."

"No no, it's not that," Sirius said hurriedly. "I was wondering if...well, I have a bottle of that potion in my room..." he explained. "And I would be safe out in the sun, wouldn't I?"

"I suppose, yes," Artifex answered slowly.

"Because Ambrose can't go out, can he?" Sirius continued.

"Oh no. No. Definitely not," Artifex said, realising what Sirius was going to ask. He turned around in his chair to face Sirius again.

"But why not? I'm safest out in the sun!" Sirius protested, standing and moving over to the desk.

"Safest from vampires, maybe, but not from mad axe murderers, or...or rabid dogs," Artifex argued, his face plastered with worry.

"Artifex, you know as well as I that rabid dogs won't do anything to me," Sirius said, tilting his head again.

"What about axe murderers?" Artifex asked. He looked terrified.

"Why are you so worried?" Sirius asked laughingly. "If a murderer comes for me, I guess I'll have some fun, won't I?"

"There. That is exactly why I am so worried," Artifex said, his face somehow going even paler.

"I'm joking," Sirius said in what he hoped was a calming voice. "I'll run if I see a murderer, okay? I promise."

Artifex still didn't look happy but he sighed. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

"Nope," said Sirius cheerfully. "Thanks!" he added, sprinting from the room and upstairs. He opened the wardrobe and grabbed the small vial of potion from his Halloween costume pocket. He popped the cork with his thumb and downed the clear liquid. He winced at its undiluted taste but grinned happily; he was going out.

He found Artifex waiting for him at the bottom of the staircase as he tried to leave.

"Maybe this is a bad idea," he said quickly, reaching for the boy. "It's not safe."

"Stop worrying," Sirius said exasperatedly. "Nothing can hurt me."

"Sirius, you overestimate yourself," Artifex moaned, closing his eyes and leaning back against the wall. "You haven't been initiated; you are fragile, breakable, but you don't seem to realise. You don't realise how easy it would be for me to reach out and..." He allowed the sentence to break off, his eyes shining with fear. "Sirius, please...wait until tomorrow. This is a mistake; you shouldn't go out." Artifex reached for Sirius but the boy leapt backwards.

"No," he said loudly, stepping out of Artifex's reach. "Let me see the sun again," he pleaded.

"You will tomorrow, I promise," Artifex said, stepping away from the wall.

"Tomorrow I will be different," Sirius said, narrowing his eyes.

"Not so different," Artifex said pleadingly. "To go out is not worth the danger it presents for you," he added.

"You worry too much," Sirius stated, stepping around the High Vampire. "I'll be fine, okay?"

And with that he disappeared out of the door. Artifex turned to run after him but stood poised on the edge of the light, screwing his eyes against the glare to watch the boy disappear down the street, his heart pumping for the first time in many years, his hands shaking slightly and for a second he hated himself and what he was for imprisoning him on one side of the light and allowing Sirius to slip through the other. He hated himself because he could not step across and run after the child, could not stay with him and make him safe. He felt a deep set loathing rise inside of him, urging him to just go out there, to find his fledgling and help him, guide him as he should. He reached out with his hand, his fingers millimetres from the soft rays, aching to touch them. His body was trying to shy from the light but his mind longed to feel the silky caress of the sun across his face. He took a breath and opened his eyes, his mind set to step outside and see the day when he felt a hand grab him roughly and jerk him inside. The door slammed and Artifex stumbled back into something hard, confused by the gloomy darkness and the cold that swept through him as the sun was locked outside.

"What are you thinking?" somebody hissed, their voice stitched with terror. Artifex felt himself being shaken, hard, and he collapsed against the person's chest, gripping their black cloak for support.

"Come on," the voice said softly, putting their arm around the High Vampires waist and pulling him down the hallway.

Artifex found himself being deposited into his chair and he stared blearily up at the person who had saved him. Ambrose was staring at him, his own eyes glinting with barely concealed fear, his hand gripping Artifex's sleeve.

"_What _were you thinking?" he hissed furiously. "Do you realise the fear I just felt; I thought you were about to kill yourself." Ambrose stepped away, shaking like a leaf and staring at his mentor.

"I'm sorry," Artifex whispered.

"You better be," Ambrose said, sounding more rational as he pulled the reading chair over and sat heavily in it.

"I am," Artifex said. "I don't know what I was thinking," he said quietly.

"I'll tell you what you were thinking," said Ambrose harshly. "You weren't thinking. You just watched that idiot boy walk out there and you almost let him kill you."

"He's not an idiot, Ambrose," Artifex said with a touch of annoyance.

"Well, it's his fault you were standing there," Ambrose retorted. "Please let's not talk about him."

Artifex nodded and sighed. "I truly am sorry, Ambrose," he said sincerely.

Ambrose nodded shortly but he didn't say anything. Instead he stood and walked slowly towards the door and stepped into the hallway, blood filling his eyes as he left Artifex, the only person he truly cared for, to worry about the boy who had ruined Ambrose's life.

Sirius continued sprinting down the street, a grin plastered across his face as he breathed fresh air and filled his useless lungs with oxygen he didn't need. He only stopped when he reached the town situated at least a dozen miles from the castle. It had taken him possibly thirty minutes. He stared around at the muggle shops that surrounded him and silently thanked Artifex for giving him the blood earlier; he felt he wouldn't be able to cope otherwise. His stomach shifted slightly as a young man rushed by him, wafting the scent into his face almost unbearably.

He stopped dead outside a shop window, staring at the sign in the window that declared '_Half-price ear piercing, one day only!_'. Sirius used to have some muggle money but it was all at Hogwarts and he had none with him but he was sure he had some in his muggle account. He searched his memory for the location of his bank card and realised it was at Hogwarts. Sirius glanced around him and slipped down a side-alley, pulling his wand out and whispering '_Accio_ card', concentrating fiercely on his debit card, keeping the picture in his mind. Sure enough, minutes later his card came soaring towards him, glinting in the midday sun. Sirius barely suppressed a yell of triumph as he snatched it from the air and dashed out of the alley. He asked the nearest person where the bank was and followed their directions to a cash machine. He pushed his card into the slot, punched in his pin and drew £30. That, he figured, was enough to be getting along with.

He strolled back to the ear-piercing shop and opened the door, making a small bell ring. He closed it softly and stepped up to the counter. "Erm...I'd like to get my ear pierced," he said quietly, feeling slightly awkward. The girl behind the desk looked up at him, her eyebrows shooting up.

"Oh," she said, giggling a little. "Sure; it's half price today."

"I saw," Sirius said with a wink.

She laughed and led him to the back of the shop where there were three high tables and six high stools.

"Sit here and I'll be right back," she said, gesturing towards one of the chairs.

"Um...out of interest, what are the needles made from?" he asked, sitting on the indicated stool.

"They're all made of silver," she said over her shoulder before she disappeared into a back room.

Sirius bit his lip softly, wondering what had possessed him to come inside this place. He also wondered just how much this was going to hurt.

The girl returned with what looked like a gun. Sirius stared at it apprehensively.

"I know it looks scary. But don't worry; it won't hurt," the girl said, taking the seat next to him. She disinfected his ear and moved the gun into placed. Sirius' stomach clenched with nerves.

There was a loud click and Sirius felt an almost unbearable surge of pain shoot through his ear. He bit hard on his lip to stop himself from crying out.

The girl fumbled for an earring and was about to push it through the whole when Sirius suddenly thought of something.

"Not a silver earring," he said hurriedly, turning his head away. "Anything but silver."

The girl put the earring down and glanced at him. "Er...we have steel hoops?" she said, he tone making it a question. Sirius grinned.

"Brilliant," he said.

She found the earring and pushed it through the hole before stepping back. "Done," she said, smiling at him.

Sirius leapt from the stool and glanced in the mirror. "Artifex will love it," he grinned.


	15. Initiation

"Are you ready?" Caius asked with a grin.

"No," Sirius replied, looking positively ill. His stomach was alive and squirming with fear. "So, er...what actually happens?" Sirius asked.

"I don't really remember," Caius said, looking thoughtful. "I think it hurts though." With that he turned and strode away in search of Gwen, leaving Sirius on his own in his room, shaking like a dog in a storm. He heard the two of them laughing next door and sank onto his bed, worried his legs would collapse.

Ten minutes later found Sirius walking down the stone staircase next to Ambrose who was gripping his sleeve so tightly Sirius feared for the fabric. He was wearing a new cloak that was heavy and black but it fit perfectly. The hood was pulled up and fell down over his face enough to hinder his vision. It had a steel clasp at the throat but otherwise it had no decoration. All of the vampires were wearing identical attire as they stood waiting for the fledgling to descend the stairs and move into the room where they were waiting for him.

Sirius and Ambrose stopped in the doorway, waiting for the invitation from Artifex who was standing opposite them, against the far wall. The other vampires were standing at the edges of the room. As Sirius watched, he noticed that all of them had swords strapped to their waists, the metal glinting in the candlelight.

"Sirius Black, fledgling of Ambrose, I welcome you to the coven of Cruis Gens. Please step forward," Artifex stated emotionlessly, staring at Sirius. Ambrose took a step forward, pulling his fledgling along beside him. They walked into the middle of the room and waited as the vampires formed a circle around them. The large hoods obscured their faces and Sirius felt a tremor of fear strike him as he stared at those who would shortly become his family.

"Ambrose, do you swear before the coven that this fledgling is of your own creation?" Artifex asked, turning his attention from Sirius and watching his own fledgling.

Ambrose hesitated for a second. "I swear before the coven," he muttered sullenly.

Sirius looked up at Artifex, wondering what would come next. The High Vampire stepped forward and Sirius could see a sword at his waist as well, flashing in the pale illumination. He drew in a quick breath, his heart quickening as he tried not to think of what exactly those swords could do to him.

"Sirius, I ask you to state before the coven of Cruis Gens that you are of Ambrose's creation," Artifex said, turning back to Sirius.

Sirius felt a moment of panic, wondering what to say when he remembered what Caius had mentioned earlier; _always state the facts, don't let anything be uncertain_.

"Ambrose is my creator," he said certainly; he was sure of that fact.

Artifex offered a slight smile before stepping back once again. "Sirius, do you swear allegiance to the coven of Cruis Gens?"

Sirius nodded slowly before realising he needed to say it out loud. "I swear allegiance," he whispered, feeling Ambrose's hand clench beside him.

"We welcome Sirius, son of Ambrose, into the circle of our coven. Do you promise to guide and care for Sirius when he seeks guidance and care?"

"We promise," the coven chanted as one. The eerie sound of the numerous voices sent a shiver down Sirius' spine.

"And will you protect Sirius in his times of greatest need?" Artifex questioned, looking at every member individually, his eyes hard.

"We will," the coven replied definitely.

"Ambrose, I ask you now to step away from the fledgling and join the circle," Artifex said. He was watching Sirius, his eyes flashing with worry as Ambrose stepped away from the boy and joined the circle on Artifex's right side. Simultaneously, every vampire in the circle reached out to touch the hand of the man standing next to him and a collective gasp sounded as all of them threw their heads back.

"What's going on?" Sirius asked, terrified, taking a stumbling step backwards.

Artifex yelled words that sounded like an incantation, his voice deafening Sirius who shied away from the sound. A strong light filled the room, seeming to originate from the vampires themselves and Sirius realised with a deep set fear that the light was concentrated on him. He yelled out as he rose into the air, his body twisting and writhing and Sirius was no longer screaming in fear but in pain as the coven chanted beneath him.

His bones seemed to crack and then repair themselves, stronger than before but twice as painful to grow. His skin was itching unbearably until it reached a point where Sirius wished his skin would just tear itself from his body just to free him from the pain that could not be healed. He felt his insides seem to shrivel before blossoming inside him like balloons being filled with air, growing to such an extent that Sirius, even in his deluded state, could feel his ribs strain with the pressure. The light was growing ever brighter and the pain merely increased, never diminishing until Sirius was reduced to a limp figure suspended in the air, his body twirling and twisting, his throat raw from screaming but still the pain would not end.

His gums ripped apart as stronger fangs tore their way through, his milk fangs clattering to the floor like discarded jacks. Blood ran down his chin and lips as his gums struggled to heal and still Sirius screamed and fought against the light, trying to resist the vampires that held him in place and forced this agony upon him.

"_Let me die_!" Sirius screeched as blood poured from his mouth, nose, ears and eyes, starving him and tantalising him, soaking his clothes. "_I want to die_!"

But it wouldn't stop; it never would. Sirius was sobbing and screaming at the same time, struggling but dying, trying to relinquish his life; he no longer wanted it, not if this was the cost.

Sirius suddenly arched his back and fell silent, the pain disappearing as the light faded. He dropped like a stone and landed in a crumpled heap on the stone floor, shaking and crying and moaning. The vampires rushed towards him in frenzy, falling upon him to fill their empty veins.

Sirius started to scream again as a thousand burning knives pierced his skin again and again, his blood leaking away from him at an even faster rate until he lay weakly, staring blankly at the ceiling as the vampires fed from him, his blood running down their lips. As Sirius felt his consciousness begin to fade, the vampires suddenly stood and moved back against the wall, their heads bowed and their hands clasped ritually, as though in prayer.

Artifex stepped forward and lifted Sirius in silence, staring into his eyes. He slowly set him on his feet and took Sirius's left arm, pushing back the sleeve. He slipped a leather band with a metal disc sunk into it, identical to his own, over Sirius's wrist and stepped back without saying a word.

"Sirius Black, Cruis Gens," Artifex stated, introducing him to the rest of the coven as a member of the circle.

Sirius took a breath, feeling his lungs inflate drastically. He could see things with so much more clarity, everything was so interesting, so colourful, so distracting. He stared around him, at the wonders of the room; the rough edges of the stone walls, the shadowed folds in the vampires' cloaks, the shining brightness of the swords. His fangs felt odd, longer and sharper, more dangerous. Human flesh would be no match for their razor tips. His skin was paler, somehow, the same shade as those around him, and he felt stronger, less breakable. He hadn't realised how uncomfortable he had been in his old skin until he had grown into this new one. He felt invincible.

Ambrose stepped forward after a second to stand beside Sirius. "And now we hunt," he said with a cruel smile.

"Watch, Sirius," Artifex said softly, his hand on Sirius' shoulder. They were standing on the corner of s a darkened street, watching a man in his late thirties make his way home, probably for a late supper with his wife, to kiss his young children goodnight. Ambrose was strolling behind the man, so smoothly silent he was invisible to the man.

At that moment Ambrose sped up and grabbed him about the throat, lifting him into his arms and burying his head into the man's neck. They both sank slowly to the floor as Ambrose drank his fill. Sirius felt a sharp excitement burn inside of him, filling him with the need to kill, to feel fresh blood run down his lips, to drink life itself.

Ambrose stepped away from the man's body, allowing it to slump to the ground, empty and useless. He looked up at Artifex. "Where now?"

"Now it is Sirius's turn," Artifex said, turning to the fledgling. "We need to get closer to the town."

Artifex reached out and took Sirius's hand. "You will be able to run, but not as fast as Ambrose or I, not yet. Hold onto me and you will not fall behind."

Sirius nodded, his heart pounding at the thought of the kill. The anticipation filled him with shameful electricity that burned through his veins. His fangs ached to bite into real flesh, to feel some resistance.

The three of them began to run, the sheer speed of which filled Sirius with exhilaration. His hair whipped back from his forehead and his laugh blew away in the wind but his elation was tangible and Artifex turned to smile at him, pride etched across his face.

The stopped on the outskirts of a town far from the castle and Artifex dropped Sirius's hand. He leaned down and whispered in his ear.

"You must pick your victim," he said quietly. "And hunt them. When you are ready, take him, and enjoy it; the first time should be special."

He then stepped away with Ambrose to allow Sirius to fend for himself and learn through action. Sirius, controlled by the vampire in him, turned toward an appealing scent and saw a woman of about twenty hurrying down the street from a convenience shop which boasted '_open 24 hours_' in the window. In her hand she held a plastic bag of alcohol though from her scent Sirius could tell that she had not yet drank this evening.

He followed her, his amateur feet sounding on the pavement and his breathing sounding too loud in his ears but she did not notice her stalker until it was far too late. She glanced over her shoulder when Sirius was three strides behind her but by then the smell of blood was strong in his nostrils and he had let go of his rational mind.

"Do-" the woman cried as he lunged for her but she never finished the sentence as the two of them collided heavily with the ground. Sirius growled and wrapped his hands around her throat, baring his teeth like a violent dog before he lent forward and slashed at her neck, cutting through the skin and the arteries. He moaned with ecstasy as the blood spilled, soaking the floor around him, seeping through his clothes and staining her body. He sucked at the wound, feeling the warm blood rush eagerly into his mouth and down his throat. His heart was still as he killed her, and he felt no guilt, only pleasure, and a certainty that he would do it again.

He screeched as she ran dry, shoving the body away in disgust. It landed in a sprawling heap next to his feet. Sirius stared at her for a moment, blood dripping down his chin and welling in his eyes. His body began to shake and tremble, his mind screaming at him to reverse it, to bring her back but he couldn't. She was dead and he had killed her.

"Sirius," Artifex was near him, soothing, calming. Sirius turned towards him instinctively, burying his head in the man's chest as he choked on his tears. "Don't cry, Sirius," he said quietly, standing slowly so as not to startle the boy.

"I killed her," Sirius choked, gripped Artifex's robes. "She's dead. I did that."

"Sirius, stop this at once," Artifex said sternly, taking a firm hold on Sirius's wrist. "You _had_ to do that, you had no choice. You never will."

Sirius stared up at the High Vampire with wide eyes, his shaking hands not relinquishing their grip on his clothes. "She's _dead _because of _me_," he cried helplessly. "I _killed _her."

"It will get easier over time," Artifex promised, prising Sirius's hands from his front. "It's like this for everyone."

"Not for him," Sirius snarled, turning to Ambrose who was standing back, out of the way.

"You're right," Ambrose smirked. "I enjoy killing. It gives me a kick, seeing life disappear before me, at my hands." He smiled cruelly. "It gets better every time."

Sirius growled furiously and lunged for his creator but Ambrose merely knocked him aside with a casual wave of his hand, sending Sirius sprawling.

"Careful, fledgling. Don't go underestimating your superiors," he snarled before turning and stalking away into the night, disappearing into the solid blackness.

Sirius spat on the ground before standing and turning away from Artifex. "Is this what I am to expect from life now?" he asked helplessly. "Death and anger?" He kicked the floor and let out a scream of frustration. "I hate this!" he yelled, whirling around to glare at Artifex. "I hate what we are. I hate what we do!"

"Sirius, you'll grow accustomed to our ways over time," Artifex said softly, stepping forward. "Right now you need to get back to the castle. There are people there who know exactly what you're going through. We can _help _you, Sirius," he said coaxingly.

Sirius looked once more at the sprawled corpse. "What about her?" he asked eventually.

Artifex watched the body for a second. "She'll be found in the morning," he said carefully, not wanting to upset Sirius further.

Sirius scowled and turned away again so Artifex would not see the blood shining in his eyes. He sighed heavily and closed his eyes against the sight of the woman, remembering with perfect clarity how it had felt to take her life. The thought caused him to burn with shame and anger.

Artifex turned to look at the first rays of light appearing over the horizon and touched Sirius's hand.

"Am I evil?" Sirius asked quietly, not looking at the High Vampire.

"No," Artifex replied simply. "Being a vampire and being evil are two different things and you should not forget that Sirius. You are not evil and I hope you never will be." Artifex looked positively furious at Sirius for speaking such things but his voice was calm when he next spoke.

"Let's go home," he said quietly. Sirius took his hand and together they ran away from the strengthening light that was spilling over the horizon.


	16. Gwen, Ludovic and Arty

Sirius walked straight to his room as soon as he and Artifex returned to the castle, speaking to nobody and keeping his eyes down, feeling ashamed and afraid. He collapsed upon his bed and buried his head in his arms, fighting not to let any tears spill over his eyelids.

"Sirius?" a soft voice called form outside his door. "Is everything okay? I heard you and Artifex return."

The door opened and Caius walked in, looking concerned. "Are you okay?" he asked immediately, sitting on the bed and pulling Sirius into a sitting position. Sirius hastily wiped the blood away and averted his eyes.

"I'm fine," he mumbled, pulling out of Caius' grip. "Just leave me alone."

Caius looked out of his depth, his beautiful face creased with bewilderment. "Didn't you do it?" he asked in alarm. "Did you not hunt?"

"I hunted," Sirius replied shortly, his temper rising swiftly.

Caius looked relived. "Oh, good. I thought you hadn't; that would be _weird_."

Sirius scowled at him in disbelief. "I'm a _killer_, and you think that's good?" he asked furiously. "I just murdered an innocent woman," he said, half to himself.

"You're in shock," Caius said bluntly. "You'll get over it; we all do."

Sirius turned away. "Maybe that's not such a good thing," he muttered sullenly.

"Gwen," Caius said quietly. "Could you come in here for a moment? I know you're listening."

Gwen appeared in the doorway before the words were even out of Caius' mouth. "So you do need my help?" she said with a grin. "I thought you said you could handle it."

Caius shrugged. "I'm way out of depth here," he said, shifting over so she could sit next to Sirius.

"Sirius, are you okay?" she asked gently, touching his shoulder which was wet with blood. "Right, first things first, you need to wash and get changed out of these and into something more comfortable. Caius, out."

"Why do I have to get out?" Caius pouted. "_I'm _a man."

"Sometimes I wonder," Gwen said, raising her eyebrows and pulling him to his feet and pushing him out of the door. "Real men don't pout. I'll call you when we need you."

Caius left, leaving Sirius with Gwen who walked to the wardrobe and pulled out some new clothes for Sirius.

"Honey, could you bring me a bowl of warm water?" she said to the room at large before turning to Sirius. "Take that cloak off first," she said. "But be careful; you're probably still a little sore from the initiation."

Sirius didn't need to be told that; his bones were aching as though there were woodcutters in his limbs, determined to saw his bones into pieces. He felt bruised all over though he knew that wasn't possible and his mouth was stinging as though a crazy dentist had just stabbed him with several thousand needles. He moved slowly, pulling the cloak away from his body and allowing it to drop to the floor.

Caius walked in, a smirk over his face and a bowl in his hands. "I knew you'd call me back," he said smugly.

Gwen took the bowl, ignoring his comment. "You can go now," she said with a smile, turning away from him.

Sirius winced as he pulled his t-shirt over his head. His stone chest was covered in blood but instead of driving him mad with thirst he felt his stomach contract, remembering the dead woman.

"Shall I?" Gwen asked, holding out a damp cloth.

"I'll do it," Sirius said quietly, taking the bowl from her. She nodded and turned away to give him some privacy. Sirius washed all over with shaking hands, staring with wonder at his new body. His skin was pale as moonlight and solid as marble. He could feel the strength and power thrumming in his veins, making him tingle all over. When he was done he pulled on the clothes Gwen had put out and sat on the bed.

"You can turn around now," he said softly. Gwen moved back over to him and sat beside him.

"Your hair..." she said, taking the cloth from the bowl. She touched the surface of the water and purified it, ridding it of the blood. Sirius stared in amazement.

"How did you do that?" he asked as she dripped water over his head and combed out his blood matted hair.

Gwen shrugged lightly. "It's a package deal," she said calmly. Sirius sat still as she ran her finger over his scalp, the feel of it so smooth he felt he could spend eternity with her sitting there, just smoothing his hair.

_This must be what it feels like to have a real mother_¸ he thought drowsily.

"Done," she said, too soon. She put the bowl to the side and turned towards him. Sirius suddenly longed to hug her, to feel that somebody would help him, to know that he wasn't alone. Blood welled in his eyes again and he turned away, shame filling him once more.

"It's okay to cry, Sirius," she said, her voice soft as silk.

"I don't want to cry," he whispered, his voice sounding clogged. It hurt his throat, the sounds pulling painfully at his voice box.

Gwen leaned over and hugged him, seeming to realise that it was exactly what the boy needed. He turned his head into her shoulder, allowing her golden hair to tickle his cheek. Her arms wrapped around him and Sirius felt a love that he had been missing for almost sixteen years, a love he had always envied James for having so easily. Sirius had never loved his mother, but he knew that this was how it felt. How long they stayed together in the embrace Sirius didn't know but he realised that Gwen was waiting for him to pull away, rather than do it herself.

"Thank you," Sirius said softly, looking straight at her through the blood that was heavy in his eyelids.

Gwen, too, was crying. "I always wanted a son," she whispered. "Caius and I, we were trying. He hoped for a son as well, I think but he went out one night and didn't return for weeks. I thought he had been abducted or killed but not once did I think he had left me; Caius would never hurt me like that. He returned a few weeks later, at night. He was different but I knew who he was and he knew me. He told me what had happened to him, that he had been bitten, that he would have to leave me in case anything happened." She was staring ahead of her now, her hand in Sirius' and he realised suddenly that he was comforting her, not the other way around.

"I told him I didn't care what he did; I didn't ever want him to leave me. He argued, he told me he was dangerous, that I wasn't safe with him around so I asked him to turn me as well, so we could be together. He cried when I told him, he said he wasn't worth such a sacrifice. I told him then that a bigger sacrifice would be to let him go and finally he relented, scared and reluctant. He turned me there and then, that night and I've never once regretted it," Gwen told him, wiping her eyes and turning to Sirius who was lost for words.

"I was devastated when I found out that we couldn't have children, not like this but I still didn't regret it. Caius is worth more to me than any unborn child will ever be," she said with finality.

Sirius bit his lip, unsure of what to say. "I guess...some people just aren't supposed to have children," he said after a while.

Gwen laughed, to Sirius' relief; he had heard the words only as they spilt from his mouth and realised that they could have been taken in the wrong way.

"Your parents are lucky to have you, Sirius," she said, smiling.

Sirius gave a derisive laugh. "My parents were not lucky for me to be born to them," he said firmly.

Gwen smiled sadly. "They should love you Sirius. They're fools not to."

Sirius shrugged, uncomfortable. "I don't love them, they don't love me; the relationship works," he said indifferently. "I stopped caring long ago."

Gwen laughed softly before standing. "Ready to go and find Caius?" she asked.

Sirius nodded, standing as well. "Look, Gwen..."

"Don't say it," Gwen interrupted. "It doesn't need to be said."

Sirius smiled and nodded again before following her out of the room. "So where is Caius?" he asked.

"I believe he's in the weapons room," she said, heading down the stairs. She walked to a metal door set into the wall, beyond which came the sound of crashing metal and male laughter.

Gwen smiled. "He's in there," she confirmed, pushing the door open.

Sirius stepped inside and was instantly taken by surprise. It was a huge, almost empty room with stone floors and walls. There were a few planks of broken wood and a couple of old barrels littering the floor but other than that there was nothing but that was not what had surprised Sirius. He was staring at the walls which were lined with weapons of a great many shapes and sizes, the majority of which were swords. Along the far wall were about twenty five swords, all lined up, point down. He knew instantly that these were the swords the vampires had been wearing at the initiation. Mounted on another of the walls was a vast array of armoury, ranging from shields to knee guards to helmets for horses. Along the other two walls were swords, spears, bows, crossbows and guns as well as others Sirius was unable to name.

He grew bored of staring at the weapons though and watched the two people in the room instead. They were parrying with swords, laughing and joking at each other as they did so. Sirius recognised one of the as Caius, his blond hair plastered to his head and his pores sweating blood.

The other was a vampire Sirius was unable to place. He had black hair that was cut fairly short and his dark skin also shined with sweat.

"Gwen is here," he panted, ducking away from what could have been a fatal blow to any ordinary human.

Caius glanced around and was immediately struck across the shoulder. He glared at his companion in mock fury. "Cheat," he said simply before sheathing his sword and strolling over to Gwen and Sirius.

"You're back!" he said happily, taking Gwen's hand and pulling her in to the room. Sirius followed, watching the unknown vampire who was walking towards him.

"This is Ludovic," Caius said, waving his hand towards the other man.

"Call me Ludo," he told Sirius, sticking out his hand. Sirius shook it and nodded.

"I'm Sirius," he said though he knew that Ludo would already know his name.

Ludo nodded. "Have you ever fought with a sword before?" he asked.

Sirius shook his head. "No," he said, glancing around him. "Do vampires often fight with swords?"

"It's our weapon of choice," Ludo said lifting his. "Ours are made of steel, but we have a blade of silver when fighting other vampires or werewolves."

Sirius looked alarmed. "You do that?" he asked in disbelief.

Ludo nodded. "Of course," he said. "How else would we win against our kind?"

Sirius shrugged but couldn't think of an argument and so didn't reply.

"Do you want to learn how to fight the vampire way?" Ludo asked, smiling widely so that Sirius was able to see his glinting fangs.

Sirius glanced around. "I don't have a sword," he said, lifting his hands to prove the point.

Ludo spread his arms wide. "Pick a weapon, any weapon," he grinned.

Sirius looked around, trying to decide which would be best to use. A sword? Or a bow? He had never used either in his life. The swords looked easier to wield and so Sirius walked over to the wall and pulled one from its stand. He held it by the handle, surprised at the weight of it as it glinted in the bright candlelight.

Ludo grinned, watching him with interest. "A sword, eh?" he asked, walking over.

Sirius shrugged. "I've never used a weapon before," he said.

Ludo nodded before suddenly bringing his fist forward, swinging the sword at Sirius's head. Sirius yelped and threw himself to the floor, waving his sword in the direction of the opposing sword and felt it jar as it impacted. He rolled to the side as Ludo lunged forward, struggling to his feet with difficultly, breathing heavily with fright and adrenalin.

"What are you doing?" he gasped, leaping backwards as Ludo tried to hit him again.

Ludo grinned. "I'm not even trying, Sirius. Fight back!"

Sirius frowned, still confused. He wondered how exactly he was expected to learn how to fight if Ludo kept attacking him and didn't tell him what to do but there was no time to ask as Ludo delivered a heavy blow to his shoulder that sent Sirius sprawling. He looked up from the floor to see the man walking sedately towards him and tried to dart to the side but Ludo swung around, pummelling the backs of his knees with the sword so Sirius pitched forward and landed on the floor for the second time. The sword clattered from his right hand, spinning away across the floor.

Ludo laughed and extended his hand to the boy who took it and allowed himself to be pulled to his feet.

"Pick up your weapon," he said before turning and walking to the side, waiting for him. Caius and Gwen were deep in conversation in the corner, apparently oblivious to the friendly battering Sirius was receiving.

Sirius scrabbled for the sword and ran to Ludo, his legs carrying him faster than he had ever travelled on his own before. He raised the sword, aiming to bring it down heavily on Ludo's shoulder but the man turned on his heel when Sirius was hardly a foot away and delivered a breathtakingly harsh blow to Sirius's stomach. It didn't hurt; Sirius's skin was too hard for that now, but it knocked him off course and he stumbled though he managed to stay upright this time.

"Not bad," Ludo commented, stepping forward and brandishing the sword. Sirius ducked at the worst possible time and felt the sword crack across his skull. Pain blossomed through his body as his head felt like it had been cleaved in two. He slumped to the floor, his vision obscured by large black splotches that threatened to overwhelm him. He moaned into the floor, the cool stone hard against his cheek. His hair lay in disarray across his forehead and he was breathing heavily.

"Sorry," Ludo said hurriedly, kneeling beside him and pulling him into a sitting position. "Maybe that was a little hard..."

Sirius nodded weakly and winced as pain drove its way through his head, eating at the bone and burning at his nerves. "Maybe a little," he said hoarsely.

Ludo laughed, sounding a little nervous. "Are you okay?" he asked worriedly.

"Ludo?" Gwen's voice called from across the room. "Ludo, what's happened?"

"Nothing Gwen, Sirius just took a fall," Ludo answered quickly. "He'll be fine in a jiffy."

"He doesn't look fine," Gwen said, her voice disapproving and suddenly she was kneeling in front of Sirius, peering into his face. "He looks dead," she said furiously, rounding on Ludo.

Sirius giggled feebly. "I am dead," he chuckled, feeling breathless. "We're all dead."

"Oh my god, you _broke _him!" Caius cried, falling beside the three of them and looking anxiously at Sirius. "Artifex will kill us!"

"Don't be stupid Caius, he's _not _broken," Gwen said sharply. She turned to Sirius. "Can you stand?" she asked.

Sirius nodded slowly, moving so that he was prepared to put his weight on his feet. He raised himself from the floor and stood, feeling wobbly but otherwise okay save for a thumping headache.

"I'm fine," he said, smiling at them. "Really."

"Are you sure?" Ludo asked.

"Shut up, of course he's sure," Caius said, shoving Ludo who laughed.

"Oh, who's afraid of Big Bad Artifex, hmm?" he teased, ducking away from a well aimed punch.

Gwen sighed. "You two are so immature," she said tiredly.

Caius opened his mouth but Gwen interrupted. "Don't say it," she said, putting her hand out. "And don't pout," she added with a smile. Caius beamed and took the extended hand.

"So, you're okay, right Sirius?" he said, turning to the boy.

Sirius nodded. "Much better, thanks," he said. His headache had almost gone and his legs no longer felt weak.

Caius grinned. "Excellent," he said happily. "Mind if we disappear?"

"Not at all," Sirius said lightly. "You go ahead."

The couple disappeared, leaving Ludo and Sirius alone. "So, what do you want to do now?" he asked, turning to Sirius.

Sirius shrugged. "Do you want to parry some more?"

Ludo laughed. "I think you've had enough for one day," he said gently, taking the sword and putting it back in the stand. "We can fight again tomorrow if you like."

Sirius nodded. "That would be fun," he agreed. "But what are we supposed to do now?"

"Who knows?" Ludo asked. "We could see what Artifex is doing."

"Won't he get mad if we interrupt him?" Sirius asked, frowning.

Ludo snorted. "Arty doesn't know the meaning of the word mad," he laughed. "Besides, I expect he wants to know how you are after the initiation."

"He was with me earlier," Sirius said stonily.

"You were different then," Ludo said reasonably, in the kind of voice you can't argue with. Sirius sighed and followed his to Artifex's room. They didn't bother knocking on the door, instead Ludo strode inside and pulled Sirius in after him.

"You should know," said Artifex from his desk, without turning around. "That I do _not _approve of the name 'Arty'."

"Would you prefer 'mum'?" Ludo asked innocently.

Artifex turned in his chair and ignored him. "Sirius, how are you?" he asked, smiling genuinely when he saw that Sirius was looking healthier.

Sirius shrugged. "Okay, I guess."

"Brain still intact?" Artifex smiled.

A frown creased Sirius's eyebrows. "How did you know about that?" he asked in amazement.

Artifex shrugged. "I like to keep an eye on my children, especially when they are at the mercy of one Ludovic and his companion Caius," Artifex replied, his eyes glittering.

"You should know that I do _not _approve of the name 'Ludovic'," Ludo imitated, dropping into a chair. "Besides, that was an accident."

"Accidents seem to happen all too frequently around you," Artifex said calmly.

"More so around Caius," Ludo protested, turning so his legs were across the arm of the chair.

"Caius has something of a babysitter, you don't," Artifex pointed out.

Sirius sat on the bed, content to just watch and listen to the friendly banter of his new family, finally feeling at home in the castle, with his real family.


	17. Control

Sirius knocked hesitantly on the door, his heart beating sluggishly in his chest, his breathing shallow.

"You can come in Sirius," Artifex called. He sounded perfectly cheerful which lessened Sirius' nerves somewhat, but not by much. He pushed the door open and slipped inside, catching sight of Artifex sitting at his desk, the chair facing outwards so he could see Sirius.

"Take a seat," Artifex said calmly, gesturing to a chair in front of him. Sirius frowned and sat in it.

"This is new," he commented, peering down at the faded grey covers. It was surprisingly comfortable.

"Actually it's fairly old," Artifex said, without sparing the chair a glance. "I trust you know why you are here?"

Sirius' chest tightened with nerves, his stomach knotting painfully. "So I can learn to control myself?" he asked quietly.

Artifex was thoughtful. "I suppose you could call it that," he said slowly. "But I was just going to propose that we went for a ride."

"On a horse?" Sirius questioned, confusion flooding his brain.

Artifex nodded. "Naturally. I assume you can ride?"

"Naturally," Sirius mimicked, relief washing through him. "Why are we riding?"

Artifex shrugged. "It's fun," he said simply, though Sirius was sure there was more to it than that. Artifex got to his feet and made towards the door that led to the courtyard. Sirius had never been out there before and he felt a flicker of excitement.

He followed Artifex out of the door and took in his rather anti-climatic surroundings.

The courtyard was simple, with a floor of pale grey stone Sirius could not name. A huge tree sprouted in the centre, its limbs reaching helplessly for the glowing red sky, its thick bark veined and knotted. Archways at the opposite end of the courtyard to the door through which Sirius had come led to the extensive grounds and woodlands surrounding the castle. It was to these arches that Artifex now strode, not bothering to check if Sirius was behind him or not. Sirius followed him again, allowing himself to be led to a large stable that housed at least a dozen horses.

"Won't they be tired?" Sirius asked quietly, staring at the stalls that lined the building.

"These horses are used to being ridden during the night," Artifex replied, opening one of the stalls and leading out a dark bay gelding, at least seventeen hands high. "You take him," he said quietly, motioning for Sirius to come closer. Sirius did so and glanced around.

"The halter is on the wall behind you," he said, apparently aware of what Sirius had been looking for. Sirius turned and found it, clipping it over the horse's neck and tied him to the string on the wall.

Artifex was leading a huge black gelding out into the aisle, whispering in its ear so quietly Sirius mistook the murmurings for the dancing of the leaves outside.

"The tack is in the room to your left," Artifex told him, tying the gelding to the wall as Sirius had.

"Which belongs to him?" Sirius asked, heading towards the room.

"It's in the corner, you can't miss it," Artifex replied, stroking the black gelding.

Sirius walked into the tack room, breathing in the comforting smell of leather, horse and saddle soap. He took the tack from the corner and went back outside, by which time Artifex had tacked up and mounted though Sirius could have sworn there hadn't been a saddle or a bridle near the High Vampire before he'd walked away.

Artifex nodded to him. "Now tack him up," he said. "And be mindful."

"Of what?" Sirius asked, bewildered.

"You can work it out, I'm sure," Artifex replied, turning the horse he was sitting upon so he faced the door.

"Thanks for your help," Sirius muttered sarcastically, rolling his eyes. Artifex ignored him.

Sirius put the tack over the stable door and took the bridle, fitting it over the gelding's head. As he did so the horse stamped impatiently and headbutted Sirius, swishing his tail.

"Stop it," Sirius said harshly, taking a firm hold of the halter. He slid the straps into place and fixed the throat strap so he could fit four fingers inside it.

As he stepped back the gelding tugged at the lead rein that tethered him to the wall, pulling his head back and rearing a little.

"Stop it," Sirius repeated in the same voice, annoyance rising inside of him as the horse blatantly ignored him and continued to jump about. The door on one of the empty stables banged loudly against its frame, sending echoing shrieks down the building. The gelding, delighted at this chance to play up, reared again and whinnied furiously, kicking his front legs. Sirius, feeling furious at the horse, grabbed the halter and pulled him closer, holding tightly so he wouldn't rear again.

"You can stop that right now," Sirius hissed, his voice shaking as he tried to suppress his anger, knowing that if he lost his temper he could easily kill this horse. "Stand still."

He placed the saddle on the high back and tightened the girth gently, afraid of breaking the horse's ribs and crushing his lungs.

Taking a deep breath, Sirius vaulted onto his back and lent forward to untie the lead rein, curling it around itself before clipping it on the hook next to the door. As he did so the horse pranced around like an excited toddler at the fair, whinnying happily. Artifex trotted over as Sirius tightened the girth again, smiling proudly.

"Well done," he said, sounding genuinely pleased. "You passed the first test."

Sirius scowled at him, his temper bubbling beneath the surface. "What test?" he demanded rudely.

"You are mostly aware of what you are capable of in strength and harnessed yourself so you didn't hurt the horse," Artifex replied. "His name is Chuckles, by the way," he added.

Sirius raised his eyebrows but didn't comment which made the High Vampire laugh quietly.

"So what do we do now?" he asked instead, turning Chuckles towards the door with a gentle pull on the rein.

"Now we ride," said Artifex, his eyes lighting up. "But all the time you must be mindful of how you handle Chuckles; don't kick him too hard, don't pull too hard, don't lose your temper. If you do you could kill that horse you're riding on."

Sirius instantly felt that he was exerting too much pressure on the reins, that he was gripping far too tightly with his calves, that his temper was about to burst from him in a fatal surge of raw power that would kill both horses and tire him enough that he would have to sleep again. He took a deep breath and counted to ten in his head, trying to empty his mind as you were supposed to when practicing Occlumency but when he did the image of the dead woman came floating back, accompanied by the sight of himself, covered in blood and gore, streaks of it in his hair, running down his cheeks. He pushed the thoughts away with difficulty and looked at Artifex.

"What if I hurt him?" he asked quietly, looking at the horse's mane, seeing the coarse hairs, each one swaying gently in the breeze. He reached out and smoothed them down, feeling the hardness under his fingers, noticing every flaw in each strand as his fingertips drew careful circles on the horse's neck. He could see and hear the steady pulse of blood beneath his hand and could feel the warmth of the flow but it did not appeal to him as human blood did.

"I trust that you won't," Artifex said simply before turning and urging his horse to walk into the gathering darkness, towards the forest. Sirius gave the gentlest of nudges with his ankles and clicked his tongue. Chuckles tossed his head and jumped a little, kicking his feet up as Sirius swallowed his anger and gripped a little more tightly with his ankles.

"Get on," he said, his voice full of fake cheer and happiness. Chuckles' ears pricked and he started forward, his feet gently brushing the ground as they rode after Artifex who was slightly ahead of them.

Sirius sat carefully, mindful of every move he made and every twitch of the reins. He was afraid to trot in order to catch up with Artifex, fearing that he would sit too heavily and break the horse's back or that he would pull the reins too hard and break his neck.

"Sirius, keep up," Artifex said from in front, his back almost invisible in the darkness. "This will only be short."

Sirius took a breath and forced himself to be aware of every part of his body, to be able to completely control himself. He pressed gently with his heels, merely brushing Chuckles' sides but it was enough; the gelding shot forward, first in a speedy trot but then progressed into an excited canter. Sirius willed himself not to panic, not to pull on the reins. They shot past Artifex, Chuckles gaining speed with every stride, but the High Vampire did nothing but watch, interest evident in his yellow eyes.

Within seconds Sirius and the gelding were at a full-out gallop, riding into the night on a path Sirius had never stepped on in his life, next to a forest he hadn't seen before tonight and on a horse he had never touched before a few minutes ago.

Sirius sat deep in the saddle, his hands tightening slightly on the reins but not applying any pressure; that was in a minute, when he was sure he was ready. He took another breath to steady himself and silently counted down, his hands perfectly still. When he reached one he pulled on the reins, so gently he could barely feel it but Chuckles did; he slowed to a fast canter and, as Sirius maintained the slight pressure, he slowed to a trot and finally to a walk. Sirius sighed, feeling faint with relief; they had stopped, with no injuries.

Artifex trotted up behind them, smiling, his eyes pleased. "Well done," he said simply, before riding past and leading Sirius again.

They rode for another hour until they ended up at the castle where Sirius dismounted, his heart swelling with relief as he realised he had ridden; he had done something perfectly normal with a mortal creature and they were both still alive.

Artifex untacked and sorted out his horse in a matter of seconds, moving so quickly Sirius was hard put to see him, and Sirius was done shortly afterwards.

Seconds later they were both seated in Artifex's study again, Sirius still feeling giddy with the relief of not having hurt Chuckles.

"How did you find that?" Artifex asked, sounding much like an inquisitive counsellor.

Sirius frowned a little, thinking back to when he had forced his mind to be aware of his body. "I was angry at first, because he wouldn't listen and he kept jumping around. It was strange, like it would burst out of me instead of just filling me, like it would be a force, like it was before. And I don't ever want that to happen again, not after last time," Sirius said firmly, remembering how weak he had felt, how drained his body and mind had been. He shivered.

"And then, when we were riding I could feel _me_. I never realised before that I couldn't but, just then, I could. I knew what would happen if I moved too suddenly or if I pulled too firmly...I didn't want to hurt him but I was scared I would so I made myself aware of myself. Completely aware."

Artifex sat back in his chair, satisfied. "And are you confident that you could be so aware again?"

Sirius paused for a moment, recalling the strange sensation of knowing every bit of himself. "I _think _so," he replied uncertainly. "I hope so."

"Don't we all?" Artifex smiled, staring at the fledgling.

"Do you? You all seem to find it so easy, natural even. It's like you don't even try," Sirius said wistfully.

Artifex laughed. "We do try Sirius, by God we do. Every movement has to be controlled whilst around mortal creatures and delicate objects. It's just that now we are used to exerting such control. And, of course, you've only really seen us around our own kind. It is very different around those who are more...fragile."

Sirius looked surprised. "I thought you just...I don't know. I didn't realise," he said, his words confused.

Artifex laughed. "I'm glad that we seem so...natural," he said cheerfully. Sirius nodded, sighing.

"So I have to be careful until I die?" he asked glumly.

"You will learn to accept these things eventually Sirius; they are a part of who we are," Artifex explained patiently. "Now, you should just relax. Try to remember how you made yourself aware, try to recreate that feeling."

Sirius closed his eyes as Artifex talked him through the process, locking the terrifying thoughts away, hoping he would forget them and never have to think of them again. He tried to still his body and calm the muscles, trying to regain that feeling of control he had possessed earlier. Never in his life had he been so desperate to achieve something, but he concentrated fiercely in the hope that he could soon go home and be with his family.


	18. Back To Hogwarts

"Are you sure about this?" Caius asked, looking closely at Sirius. "Are you sure you're ready?"

"I'm sure," Sirius nodded. "Artifex has taught me a lot these past few weeks. I won't forget." He paused for a second, deliberating. "I think I'm safe now. Safe enough."

Caius bit his lip. "But you must be certain," he pressed, placing his hands on Sirius's shoulders. "Certain you will never lose control. You must be sure that you can keep your temper and remember to be aware. They are so fragile, Sirius," he moaned, dropping his gaze.

"I can do this," Sirius assured him. Caius sighed and dropped his hands.

"You won't stay for just a few more weeks?" he wheedled.

"Artifex thinks I'm ready now, and so do I," Sirius said firmly. "I'm going home."

Caius pouted. "I thought this was home," he said, gesturing behind him at the finery of the castle.

Sirius shook his head. "This isn't my true home. Not yet," he said. "But I'll be back soon," he promised.

Caius nodded. "I'll miss you," he said sadly.

Sirius grinned. "Me too. And everyone else here. But I miss my friends as well, and Hogwarts. I want to go back."

"Okay, fine. Go, before Tacitus realises you're leaving," Caius said glumly, pushing him towards the door.

"He doesn't know?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"We figured it was best for him not to know," Caius said, smiling. "That way you can explain yourself when you get back, and he's mad at you, not us. Bye bye." With that he clapped Sirius on the back with enough force to send him stumbling forward and strode away, laughing to himself.

Sirius shook his head at Caius' antics and pulled the heavy door open, allowing clear moonlight to spill over the threshold. He closed the door quietly behind him and walked down the stairs to stand beside Artifex who was waiting at the bottom.

"Are you ready?" Artifex asked quietly, not looking at the fledgling.

"Yes," Sirius replied. "I've never been more ready for anything."

Artifex laughed a little. "I see you are eager to be home," he said with a sigh.

Sirius shrugged. "Make the most of the time you have," he muttered.

Artifex turned to look at him. "We should hunt along the way," he said. "It will make you safer."

Sirius winced but he could not argue. "Where?"

"There's a small town not far away," Artifex replied casually. "We will stop there."

Sirius took his arm and the two rose into the air, soaring on the wind. Artifex directed them over landscapes dappled with moonlight but Sirius wasn't concentrating on the sights; his mind was preoccupied with the thought of seeing his friends again.

They stopped in the town to hunt, landing quietly behind a disused warehouse before stalking a group of three men staggering back the pub after a late night drink. As Sirius drank he found he could taste the alcohol in the victim's system and he felt oddly warm as he drank his fill. Artifex encouraged him to take the third; he would hunt again with the others. Sirius stared down at the man lying on the floor, having fainted with terror, and swopped upon him, sinking his fangs into the hot flesh of his throat. The blood spilled out, pumping from the wound into Sirius's mouth as he sucked at the rip in the flesh. When the man ran dry Sirius shoved him aside and stood, feeling warm and full. He smiled to himself, feeling slightly high.

"Well done," Artifex said. "You didn't spill any."

Sirius shrugged. "'Waste not, want not'," he quipped.

Artifex chuckled and sank onto one knee, placing his hand over one of men's heads. The body instantly burst into flame, the smell of charred flesh poisoning the air. Sirius choked and stumbled backwards as Artifex took care of the other two before taking Sirius' hand and rising into the night once more.

Neither of them spoke a word as they sped towards Hogwarts; Sirius felt consumed with guilt and disgust and didn't think he could speak even if Artifex had tried to make conversation. But the High Lord was silent, seeming to understand that Sirius wanted to be left alone for the time being.

They touched down outside the wrought iron gates and Artifex turned to Sirius. His eyes were oddly bright but before Sirius could look at him closely the High Vampire had turned away and sent a silvery figure into the night with a flick of his hand. "Good luck Sirius," he said simply, his voice sounding strange.

Sirius frowned slightly, his head tilted quizzically to the side. "Are you-" he started but at that moment a bright light flashed up ahead of them and Sirius turned, immediately distracted. The bright glare danced in the blades of grass, reaching out to them as the figure carrying the light source shambled closer.

"Mr Black," the caretaker, Filch, greeted sullenly.

"Hey Filch," Sirius greeted brightly, grinning. Filch scowled. Sirius turned to the side to say goodbye to his mentor but he had disappeared silently into the night, leaving not a whisper of wind in his wake. Sirius stared at the sky, searching for a high flying figure clothed in black but the skies were empty save for the scattering of stars and the half full orb of the moon.

"Are you coming?" Filch snapped impatiently. The gates stood open, waiting for Sirius to step through. "The Headmaster wishes to speak to you."

Sirius followed the surly man through the school until they reached Dumbledore's office. "Cheers mate," Sirius smirked at Filch, leaning back against the stone wall. "See you in detention." With that he whispered the password and stepped swiftly and gracefully back onto the golden staircase. He waved cheerfully before the wall sealed itself and spiralled upwards, laughing to himself.

Sirius lifted his hand to knock and closed his eyes for a second, thinking of every muscle in his hand. He reached forward slowly, carefully and gently rapped his knuckles across the door. He smiled, satisfied as he opened his eyes to see the unmarked wood.

"Come in, Sirius," Dumbledore called from inside.

Sirius pushed the door opened and walked into the office. "Professor Dumbledore," he greeted. His good mood suddenly vanished.

"Sirius, welcome back," Dumbledore said warmly, smiling at the student vampire. "Would you like to sit down? I promise not to keep you long; I'm sure you're eager to see your friends."

Sirius sat gingerly in the chair opposite the Headmaster and waited for him to speak.

"High Vampire Artifex said that you have mastered yourself well enough that you are able to be around the students here. For that I must congratulate you; I admit that I thought it would take much longer than that," Dumbledore said, still smiling.

"Thank you," said Sirius stiffly.

"Also, the work you have missed out on is with Professor McGonagall. You will need to see her tomorrow morning and be sure to work hard and catch up," Dumbledore continued.

"Right," Sirius nodded. "I'll do that." His mouth was speaking the words but he was barely listening; he had suddenly realised that he had nothing to say to his friends to explain his absence.

"Which leaves the matter of your friends," Dumbledore said, as though Sirius had spoken aloud.

"What about them?" Sirius asked.

"After they repeatedly demanded to know where you were I told them that you had been suspended on account of the fact that you confessed to having plotted the entire prank," Dumbledore explained.

Sirius chuckled in spite of himself. "What did they say to that?"

"They didn't linger long enough to say anything after that," Dumbledore said, smiling slightly.

Sirius nodded. "Thank you," he said again, rising slightly from his chair.

"One more thing," Dumbledore said slowly.

Sirius looked at him, immediately suspicious from the tone of the Headmaster's voice. "What is it?" he asked carefully.

"I trust you have realised that Professor Simaltis is dangerous," Dumbledore said gravely.

Sirius nodded, his hands shaking. "Yeah, I've noticed he's a little weird," he replied sarcastically.

"I am most sorry, Sirius," Dumbledore apologised sincerely. "I did not realise until after I had promised him the job. Sirius, I must warn you; be very careful around him. He knows what you are, or he has a good idea, and he is a Hunter; he won't give up – he wasn't trained to."

Sirius took a deep breath, clenching his fists. "Is Remus safe from him?" he asked, fearing the answer.

"To my knowledge he is unaware of Remus' condition," Dumbledore assured him.

Sirius let out a sigh of relief and nodded. "Exactly how dangerous is he?" he questioned, his eyes glinting.

"Too dangerous for you to let your guard down," Dumbledore said quickly. "Sirius, don't underestimate him; sit tight, do as you're asked and don't draw attention to yourself. I am truly sorry."

Sirius bit his lip but even his new fangs could not rip through his marble skin. "Why don't you just fire him?" he asked, frowning in confusion, tilting his head to the side.

"His tenure lasts until the end of the year," Dumbledore explained. "Until then, watch yourself, and watch him. I have told the High Vampire of his presence here and he assures me that a Hunter would not attack in such a public place, thus I ask you not to move about alone; keep people with you," Dumbledore urged.

Sirius nodded absently. That was why Artifex had been acting a little strange, he realised.

"You may leave Sirius, but please, be careful," Dumbledore said, dismissing him.

"I will," Sirius replied. "Thank you." He walked away and out of the office, not realising until he was a corridor away that he was alone. He flinched as a breeze touched the back of his neck and he leapt in fright as a suit of armour creaked rustily. He gasped and began sprinting towards Gryffindor Tower, his body a blur of black robes. He reached the painting and choked out the password, praying it had not changed. It hadn't and the painting swung open, allowing Sirius to collapse through the hole and lie on the stone floor, gasping in fright. As his breathing slowed, Sirius moved over to the staircase and moved swiftly up the steps to the wooden door that led to his dormitory. He pushed it open as quietly as possible and stepped inside to find his three best friends sleeping peacefully in their beds, their breathing low and deep.

He took a step backwards as the smell of human blood hit him with dizzying force and he leant against the wall, struggling with himself. His mouth twisted into a grimace as his limbs itched to grab the boys sleeping in the next room and incapacitate them before sinking his fangs deep into their necks and allowing the blood to flow.

When he was sure he was ready he stepped back inside and closed the door, walking immediately to the window and throwing it wide, allowing fresh air to chase away the warm, inviting smell of his friends' blood. He hadn't realised what it would be like to be around mortals, full of warm blood, and not be allowed to hunt them. It was excruciatingly difficult but Sirius found that if he sat on the window sill and breathed both fresh air and the air ripe with the smell of blood he could manage. It helped greatly that he had already hunted that night and he understood that he was going to have to drink a lot if he wanted to keep his control. His mind wondered briefly what was going to happen tomorrow, when there were a lot more than three students surrounding him and there were no convenient windows but he silenced the thoughts before they could truly scare him; tomorrow could deal with itself. Today was today, and he was going to enjoy it.

He looked across his friends, smiling as he noted how they slept. Peter was snuggled in his bed, the blanket pulled high over his head which was tucked into his chest. His legs were bent beneath the fabric of the duvet and one foot stuck out at the side. James was sprawled across his bed, mouth hanging open, quilt churned up around his waist where he had moved around to find a comfortable position in which to sleep. His hair was all over the place and one arm draped over the edge of the bed. Remus was sleeping on his stomach, his head turned to the side, lips parted slightly. His own blanket was tucked neatly over him and Sirius noticed that Remus was hugging the pillow to his chest, like a comfort blanket.

He smiled at each of them before leaning backwards out of the window and dropping lightly to the ground seven stories below. He stood and made his way to the lake, remembering what Artifex had told him; _"We can swim exceptionally well due to our strength and as we don't have a vital need to breath, staying under is simple. It's very peaceful underwater."_

He pulled his robes up over his head and dropped them into a heap on the floor, out of reach of the water. Then he kicked off his shoes and socks and pulled his shirt off, depositing it with the robes. Then he stepped forwards and let the water flow over his feet and ankles, then his calves, his thighs, his waist. When the water reached his chest he shut his mouth and stopped breathing through his nose before dropping into the water. The feeling of the cool liquid closing around him was equal to nothing Sirius had ever felt before; it brought him an almost unbearable feeling of peace but he embraced it, wrapping it around himself like a protective shield. He grinned, bubbles leaking from his lips but it didn't matter; he didn't need it anymore.

He kicked forward, cutting through the water so quickly he felt high again, and began swimming deeper into the lake. His eyes saw everything; his ears could hear everything, though slightly muffled due to the water and it was the single most fascinating experience of his life. The weeds and plants on the floor of the lake tickled his feet as he passed and the Grindylows avoided him, seeming to sense that he was dangerous. He looked down and could see individual grains of sand in the lake bed as well as the tiny flaws in the pebbles and stones that lay across the floor. He could see each and every colour twining through the strands of water weeds and could hear the oxygen bubbles the fish were respiring.

He swam aimlessly for several hours, feeling totally at peace with everything and with not a worry in the world. He knew only too well why many vampires chose to live like this; it was a blissful existence. But it had to end eventually, as everything must for a schoolboy of sixteen. He had to angle upwards and aim for the surface too soon and as his face broke out into the air he felt the sense of calm fade slightly, though it was definitely still present.

He swam to the shore and shook his hair out, watching the rivulets of water run down his pale chest. His trousers clung to his legs as he walked to his clothes, weighing him down and he made a mental note to wear something more convenient next time, for there would be next time. Of that he was sure. And there would be a time after that, and a time after that as well.

He felt in his robes for his wand and used it to dry himself before getting dressed for the day ahead. He made his way back up to the castle, smiling secretly to himself and walked through the corridors to his dormitory.

This time, when he walked in, the smell was easier to bear and he was able to lie back on his bed and wait for his friends to wake and notice him but for now he was content to just listen to them breathing as they slept, safe in their beds, unaware of the vampire's presence in their room. Sirius sighed as he realised that was how it should be, with no awareness; it was better that way, easier. Easier than telling them, easier than admitting it, not just to them, but to himself as well. Easier than enduring the accusing glares and suspicious glances. Easy to deny it to himself than to accept who he really was.


	19. A Threat

Remus was the first to wake that morning, rising at 7 o' clock exactly to shower and change. He didn't notice Sirius until he was wandering out of the bathroom, fully clothed.

"You're back," he stated, stunned.

Sirius laughed. "You could at least look pleased," he said in mock annoyance, pouting.

Remus chuckled. "Sorry, it's just...I can't believe you're here. You could've written," he said, looking unsure of what to do.

"Yeah, well, I wasn't sure when I was coming back myself," Sirius said, his smile disappearing.

"I thought you were with your family," Remus said, frowning.

Sirius laughed again. "You honestly believed that?" he asked, raising his eyebrows.

Remus shrugged. "I guess. I mean, Dumbledore said..."

Sirius smiled. "Dumbledore doesn't always tell the truth Remus," he said seriously.

"So, where were you?" Remus asked, inevitably.

Sirius opened his mouth to reply but was interrupted by a shriek and felt something slam into his side before shrieking again. He look down to see James sitting at his feet, nursing his torso.

"Whassgoinon?" Peter asked sleepily, not parting his hangings.

"I think I'm broken," James mumbled.

"What the hell were you doing?" Sirius laughed, pulling him to his feet.

"I was _going_ to knock you over," James said, looking disappointed. "How come you managed to stay still like that?"

Sirius mouthed wordlessly for a second before grasping on an idea. "I have a really good centre of gravity," he said hurriedly.

"Oh," said James. He grinned. "Welcome back! Sorry you took the blame; I would've come down with you."

Sirius smirked back at his best friend. "Why would you do that when it was _my _prank?" he asked, looking at James with wide, innocent eyes.

"It was not!" James protested. "Most of it was , looking at James with wide, innocent eyes.

"It was not!" James protested. "Most of it was _my _idea!"

"Was not!"

"Was too!"

"Guys," Remus said soothingly. "Just shut up, okay? It was my prank." He laughed and was shortly after joined by Sirius and James.

"I need to shower," James said, stooping to retrieve his towel from the floor. "But I still think it was my idea," he added as he headed to the bathroom.

Remus rolled his eyes and started making his bed. "So, where were you?" he asked quietly, knowing Sirius could hear him.

Sirius leapt onto Remus' bed, messing up the quilt as he lay back on the pillows. "Secret," he said teasingly.

Remus thwacked him with a pillow and shoved him off but he didn't say anything, knowing Sirius would crack.

Sirius sighed. "I was with the coven," he told his friend, avoiding his gaze.

"Doing what?" Remus whispered, eyes wide but Peter stumbled from his own bed at that moment and made his way into the bathroom to shower as James came out, half dressed.

"Later," Sirius muttered, eyeing James. Remus nodded and remade his bed.

"So, Sirius, how was suspension?" James laughed, putting his tie on and tying his shoes.

"Boring," Sirius replied, hoping there wouldn't be too many questions. "I just stayed in my room."

"What, you didn't do anything?" Peter asked, running from the bathroom and pulling his uniform on with haste. "Welcome back, by the way," he added, dragging a comb through his hair.

"Nope, thanks," Sirius replied to both sentences.

"We should go," Remus said, checking his watch.

The others followed him from the dorm and Sirius grabbed his bag before following. He met them in the brightly lit common room and reeled at their reaction when he came down.

James swore, staring at him, having been unable to see him clearly in the darkness of the dormitory. Peter gaped and Remus bit his lip.

"What?" Sirius asked, glancing back over his shoulder. "What's wrong?"

"What happened to you?" James demanded, stepping closer and peering at Sirius' face.

"What? Guys, is this some weird prank?" Sirius asked in confusion.

"Did you get something done?" Peter asked, also coming closer.

"What? I-" Sirius stammered, glancing at them all in turn.

"Sirius, have you looked in the mirror recently?" Remus hinted, gesturing wildly towards his face. Sirius caught on immediately.

"Oh, oh that. Um...I dunno what happened really. I just woke up. Maybe it was my new face cream?" he mumbled, looking helplessly at Remus who nodded vigorously.

James whistled. "I think your fan club just got a whole lot bigger mate," was all he said before striding out of the portrait hole. Sirius fell into step beside Remus whilst James chatted to Peter about a charms essay.

"Is it that noticeable?" he asked worriedly, rubbing his cheek anxiously.

"Sirius, you look like a supermodel," Remus said bluntly. "You're practically glowing."

Sirius swore and looked at the floor as several students turned to gape at him. "I have to see McGonagall about work catch-up, I'll see you in potions?" he asked quickly, stopping dead and trying to hide his face from the wide eyed stares he was receiving.

Remus nodded. "I'll explain to James," he promised as Sirius turned and strode away, holding his breath against the scent of the gathering crowd.

He ducked through a tapestry and made his way to McGonagall's office, praying she would be there. On the way he drank several bottles of blood laced with potion and felt a little calmer by the time he reached the office. He knocked gently on the door, closing his bag with his other hand.

"Come in," McGonagall called from inside.

Sirius pushed open the door. "Professor," he nodded by way of greeting.

McGonagall gave a rare smile, expertly hiding her shock at Sirius' new appearance. "It's good to see you Mr Black," she said, gesturing for his to sit.

Sirius took the indicated chair and waited for her to say something.

"You look...different," McGonagall said, watching his carefully.

"I know," Sirius mumbled, touching his cheek self-consciously. "I didn't really realise; I mean, I was around Artifex and Caius and Gwen, and they're all so beautiful...I didn't realised what I would look like to everybody here. Like they do to me, I guess."

McGonagall gave a terribly rare chuckle. "I daresay they will grow used to you with time," she said comfortingly.

"I don't know," Sirius replied doubtfully. "Artifex's beauty hits me hard every time I see him, and the others." He sighed to himself but shrugged calmly. "Nothing I can do now I suppose," he said with a small smile.

"No," McGonagall agreed. "Here's your catch up work." She handed him a thick file filled with sheaves of parchment, the sight of which made Sirius's mouth drop open.

"All of that?" he gasped, taking it from her and staring at it.

"This is your O.W.L. year, Mr Black," McGonagall said sternly.

"Yeah, but it's not as if it's important to me anymore, is it?" Sirius asked, annoyed.

"You should at least keep up the pretence," she replied indifferently.

Sirius mumbled incoherently under his breath and pushed his chair back. "I should go," he muttered, slinging the folder into his bag.

"Mr...Sirius, before you leave," McGonagall said, her voice suggesting that she had been considering saying this for some time.

Sirius swivelled round to look at her, his eyebrows raised expectantly.

"Sirius, I daresay the Headmaster has told you about Simaltis," she said, her voice hushed and hurried. She continued without waiting for a reply; "And I have no doubt that he has warned you of the risk he presents but Sirius, please listen; he's dangerous, so very dangerous I don't think you realise, but you should. You need to; Sirius, your life could depend on it." McGonagall took a deep breath and pursed her lips. "You may go," she said, her voice back to normal.

Sirius turned and strode away, his spine shivering fearfully as he hurried towards Potions. He walked into the classroom and spoke a quick apology to Slughorn before taking his place next to James, who turned to him, his eyes thoughtful.

"What did McGonagall say?" he asked.

Sirius grinned with difficulty; the smell of blood in the cramped classroom was almost overwhelming. "She went on a bit about irresponsibility, and then she gave me all the work you did, which is a folder about a foot thick, by the way," Sirius replied, absently fingering the strap of his bag as he spoke.

James laughed quietly. "Tell me about it; Simaltis set so many essays about vampires I think I could publish a book," he said, respect shining in his eyes.

"He has?" Sirius asked in surprise. "I mean, we're not finished with vampires yet?"

"No," James said, looking confused at Sirius's surprise. "He said that the topic would take a while."

Sirius nodded and turned to the front, biting his lip, worried; now that he had been initiated what he was would be a whole lot more obvious to those who were educated about vampires. He wondered briefly how long he could deceive James for before shaking the thought away and trying to concentrate on Slughorn's lecture on Strengthening Solutions.

The lesson ended too quickly for Sirius who had been dreading its end and he trudged slowly to Defence Against The Darks Arts, the smell of blood thick in the corridors. Eyes followed him as he walked and many of the younger students sidled away from him; they could feel that he was dangerous. He slumped against the wall outside the classroom and ducked his head, trying to avoid attracting attention to his inanely beautiful face but his fellow classmates still stared. The other Marauders stood by slightly awkwardly, not sure what to do about the unwanted attention. That problem was soon solved however when Simaltis threw the classroom door wide open, slamming it against the wall with a bone shaking crash.

He stood in the door way, one arm outstretched to lean on the wooden frame as he stared at his class who had lapsed into silence. His dark eyes immediately sought out Sirius who stared straight back as the professor's jaw clenched and his hand tightened into a fist.

"Get in," he snarled at the pupils who hurried inside and sat in their seats without a sound. Sirius strode to the back of the classroom to take his seat beside Remus before turning to stare icily at the vampire hunter who glared back with an impassioned hatred.

"I hope you all remembered your essays," Simaltis said, looking out at the class, his eyes lingering on Sirius.

There was a shuffling as everybody began rooting in their bags to produce the essays but Simaltis banged on the desk with his fist and the shuffling stopped immediately. "Did I ask you to take out the essays?" he asked dangerously, his eyes glinting.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Three guesses as to which side of the cage he woke up on," he muttered to Remus who was staring at the professor, essay in hand, looking terrified. He didn't reply to Sirius who frowned at him.

"What are you afraid of?" he asked furiously. "He can't do anything; not here."

Remus turned to glare at Sirius who merely grinned. "We're going to be in so much trouble if you don't shut up," he mumbled. Sirius chuckled but the sound was forced; he, too, was afraid of Simaltis, though his pride refused to show it.

"Mr Black," Simaltis called from the front. "Something you'd like to share with the class?" he asked, his voice tinged with fury.

"Nope," Sirius replied cheerfully.

"Excuse me?"

"I said, 'Nope'," Sirius repeated, his expression mockingly confused. Simaltis swept towards him, bearing down on the desk he shared with Remus who ducked his head.

"Perhaps you would like to hand in your essay now, Mr Black?" Simaltis asked smoothly, his hand outstretched.

"No can do, _amigo_," said Sirius, tilting his chair back and grinning up at Simaltis.

"I beg your pardon?" Simaltis growled, leaning closer.

"I said-" Sirius began.

"No," Remus moaned quietly, kicking him under the desk. Sirius didn't feel the gesture but he realised how afraid Remus was of the professor and was immediately consumed with guilt for drawing him over.

"What, Mr Lupin?" Simaltis turned to Remus, his eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Nothing, Sir," Remus spluttered. "I was just...trying to get Sirius to...I don't know." Remus shook his head helplessly, turning his eyes away.

Simaltis straightened up, a small smile on his lips. "See me at the end Mr Black," he said triumphantly, striding to the head of the class to begin a lecture on vampire hunting techniques.

"He's a bit touchy this morning," Sirius remarked to Remus as though nothing had happened. Remus sighed.

"Sirius, do you know what he is? I mean, do you actually know?" he asked desperately, glancing worriedly towards the front to check that they weren't being watched.

"Crazy?" Sirius suggested.

"I'm being serious," Remus scowled. "He's dangerous, Sirius-"

"Oh, don't start that," Sirius said angrily. "I've already heard it, Remus, so just don't."

Remus bit his lip and faced forwards, his quill racing across the parchment as he took down whatever it was that Simaltis was saying. Sirius shoved his parchment away in disgust and watched as it fluttered to the floor. His quill followed soon after and Sirius sat still in his chair, fury pounding relentlessly through him, taunting him and tempting him. He shoved that away as well and stared out of the window as Simaltis described, in detail, a fight he had had with a vampire some years before, going into a detailed explanation of how he had drained the creature of blood to be sure of its death. Sirius winced slightly; he couldn't help it. The thought of that happening to him someday was hideous but he pushed that away as well; death was not something he should be worrying about.

His thoughts drifted and he found himself thinking almost longingly of the castle where he had spent the previous weeks, surrounded by those who knew him for what he was and accepted him, liked him even. He thought of Gwen and her hands in his hair, thought of Caius' boyish hyper-ness and Ludo's majestic though somewhat childish presence. He remembered Tacitus and his many stories and allowed his mind to think briefly of Ambrose before his thoughts switched to Artifex. Sirius could hardly remember what he looked like; the image in his mind was not even comparable to the beauty he knew the High Vampire possessed and yet he could not make the image any more beautiful. He thought with a terrible guilt of how he had run into the sun, leaving Artifex standing helplessly behind him and of how he had hated him so furiously. It came as a great surprise to him when he heard the bell ring and people began making their way out of the classroom. He started and stared about.

"The lesson's over?" he asked, confused as he gathered his things from the floor and stuffed them into his bag.

Remus nodded, his face pinched fearfully. "You need to speak to him," he said quietly, nodding towards Simaltis who was sitting behind his desk and staring at Sirius with open hostility, his jaw clenched.

Sirius smiled, trying to hide the fear he felt. "I know," he said, grinning towards Remus. "We're going to have a nice little chat about tea on Sunday."

"Please, take this seriously," Remus groaned, shouldering his bag.

"Mr Lupin, would you be so kind as to leave?" Simaltis asked from the front, turning to glare at Remus instead, his tone making it clear that there was no choice. "Don't bother waiting for your friend."

Remus swallowed, glanced once at Sirius and hurried away. Sirius walked slowly forwards, stopping just before the professor's desk.

"You wanted to speak to me?" he asked innocently.

"Don't be smart with me, Black," Simaltis growled, standing in one fluid movement, his teeth bared. Sirius hissed instinctively, his hands clenching at his sides.

"I don't know what you mean," Sirius said with difficulty.

"Pathetic," Simaltis said, shaking his head. "Why on earth would they Turn something like you? There's nothing desirable here; you're but an arrogant little child."

Sirius scowled. "Turn me into what?" he asked, still playing dumb.

"Don't play games with me," Simaltis spat. He lent forwards over his desk, finger splayed across the wood.

"I know what you are, _vampire_, and I am going to kill you," he snarled, his face not an inch from Sirius' who had gone very still.

"I've done nothing to you," Sirius said, his voice low. "You have no reason to want to kill me." His voice was calm but his heart was beating sluggishly in his chest and if his hands were not clenched he knew they would be shaking terribly.

Simaltis laughed, the sound dry and hollow. "I have plenty of reason to kill you," he said menacingly. "And I intend to use it to my advantage. Ever heard of one 'High Vampire Artifex'?" he spoke the name with mock reverence, his face twisting into an ugly scowl. He didn't wait for Sirius to reply. "A run-in with him a few years back nearly cost me my life, and the lives of the men accompanying me. Your own life should be sufficient payback for that little mistake, don't you think?" Simaltis was smiling savagely now, his voice harsh and ragged. "Poor little Artifex will have to spend the rest of his life knowing that _he_ was the reason for your death and he'll learn, he will _learn_," he shrieked, spit flying from his mouth as his hands clenched the desk. "That you do not attack Salem Simaltis. Oh, how he will learn." Simaltis turned to glare furiously at Sirius with wide eyes, his lips moist with spittle, his hands twisting around each other in knots.

Sirius backed away slightly, truly afraid of the man standing before him as he advanced, towering threateningly over the fledgling. "I am going to kill you, vampire, if it is the last thing I do," he promised, eyes glinting maniacally in the sunlight that slanted in through the windows. "And when I do I will enjoy it, for revenge is one of the greatest joys in life, is it not?" Simaltis continued. He had backed Sirius against the wall and placed his hands either side of his head, effectively trapping him there. Sirius drew in a quick breath, his pulse racing as he stood helplessly.

"You will tell Artifex, won't you? The next time you see him? Tell him I'm coming, and tell him I'm coming for you." Simaltis grinned sadistically, his yellowed teeth level with Sirius' fangs but the man showed no fear; he knew that Sirius was powerless to stop him and he was right; the fledgling was too consumed by fear to even think of attacking him. He merely stood paralysed, rooted to the spot, his yellow eyes fixed on Simaltis' dark ones.

"Artifex isn't afraid of you," he whispered eventually, his voice cracking with fear.

"But you are," Simaltis said smoothly. "And for now that is enough." He smiled threateningly, looking at Sirius through narrowed eyes. He stood back and laughed, satisfied. "Are you afraid, vampire?" he asked quietly.

Sirius didn't say anything, not willing to give Simaltis the satisfaction of victory but the Hunter was determined.

"_I asked if you were afraid, vampire_," he repeated, stepping menacingly closer.

Sirius jerked his head in a nod, his back still braced against the wall. He had never felt such terror in his life and felt sure he would collapse if it kept pummelling him with such force.

"Say it," Simaltis sneered.

"Yes," Sirius croaked. Simaltis' face twisted as he laughed, the sound ringing through the room and battering Sirius' skull. Sirius didn't think twice; as soon as the Hunter was distracted he ducked underneath his arm and fled, sprinting down the corridor on shaky legs with the sound of Simaltis' laughter echoing in his ears.


	20. A Promise

When the other Marauders returned from their lessons it was to find Sirius sitting on the edge of his bed with his head in one hand, the elbow balancing on his knee, staring at the floor.

"Sirius? What's wrong?" James asked immediately, dropping his bag and racing to his friend. "We were worried when you didn't show for Charms."

Sirius looked up at him, taking his hand away from his face. "I'm fine," he said with a small smile. "I just felt a little ill so I thought I'd come and sit down for a bit," he lied. "I feel better now, though."

James didn't believe him but didn't press the matter. Instead he straightened up and strode away. "We should go to dinner," he muttered, heading out of the door.

Peter followed him, leaving Sirius and Remus alone in the dormitory.

"So what actually happened?" Remus asked quietly, glancing over his shoulder to check that the others were out of earshot.

"I said I felt ill, didn't I?" Sirius asked aggressively. He stood and hurried after James and Peter who had already vacated the Common Room.

"James doesn't believe you, you know," Remus continued. He was jogging behind Sirius who was striding quickly through the corridors. James and Peter had evidently taken a shortcut because they were nowhere to be seen; the corridors were empty. Apparently they were later than Sirius had suspected.

"Well it's none of his business anyway," Sirius snapped. He was over the fear he had felt earlier and was now angry at himself for showing Simaltis such weakness.

"It is," said Remus quietly. "He has a right to know."

"He does not!" Sirius exclaimed. "It's my life we're talking about, my secret. It's up to me who knows and who doesn't know."

"Sirius!" Remus yelled furiously, grinding to a halt in the middle of the corridor. "You can't keep acting like everything's the same; it's _not_. It's all different now, why can't you understand?" His voice was loud as he confronted his friend, his jaw set with an uncommon rage.

"Why can't _you _understand?" Sirius retorted, equally loud as he wheeled around to glare at Remus. "This isn't any of your business either! You wouldn't even know if you weren't a filthy _mutt_!"

Remus paled significantly but he didn't back down. "This is my business if you're going to upset _my _friend over it!" he shouted, fists clenched.

"James is a big boy now, Remus," Sirius snarled sarcastically. "I'm sure he can look after himself."

"How can he protect himself from something of which he has no knowledge?" Remus asked, his voice deadly quiet.

"He doesn't need protecting," Sirius growled.

"And you can be sure of that, can you?" Remus questioned furiously. "You're sure that his blood won't suddenly become a little too tempting, sure you won't damn him to your own fate? Because if you're not that's _damn_ selfish of you Sirius, and if you truly cared about James you'd give him the protection he deserves." By the end of the speech Remus was practically screeching into Sirius' face and his face was the colour of parchment.

Sirius sucked in a deep breath, fighting to control the rage that was boiling inside of him. He cast his mind back to his lessons with Artifex, searching for the High Vampire's voice in his mind, instructing him on what to do but there was no voice; he needed to handle this on his own.

"See?" Remus spat, shaking with anger. "See what you are? How can James protect himself from that? How can he protect himself from you?" As he said the words Remus felt as though something inside of him broke; he was furious beyond belief at his friend but he didn't like to goad him like this and he was ridden with guilt as Sirius flinched but he didn't relent; James had a right to know.

"You can't control yourself, you're pathetic," he sneered, glad that Sirius was staring at the floor; he wasn't sure that he could say these things to his face. "James is in danger every second he spends with you and he's even more vulnerable whilst he's ignorant."

Remus took a breath, the anger dissipating suddenly and dizzyingly. He stood in front of his friend feeling hollow and guilty; how could he have said those things?

Sirius was still watching the floor, trying to calm himself but Remus could see that his hands were still shaking.

"Sirius-" he began, but he wasn't sure what to say. 'Sorry' would probably be a good place to start but he couldn't summon the words; they lingered just beyond his reach, tantalising him and dancing away when he reached for them.

Sirius shook his head. "Don't say it," he said quietly. "You're right; it's pathetic, and I'm sorry. Truly, I am, but I can't, Remus, you don't understand."

"I understand better than you think Sirius," Remus replied, slumping against the wall and sliding down it to sit on the stone floor. "I've been through it before and I thought that keeping what I am a secret would be for the best but it just made me unhappy, Sirius," Remus told him, closing his eyes and resting his head against the wall.

Sirius sat beside him, though left about seven inches of space between them, and folded his knees to his chest, resting his arms on them as he stared at the wall opposite.

"When I got my letter of acceptance from here, my parents didn't want to let me come; they said it was far too dangerous," Remus said quietly, his eyes still closed, apparently lost in his memories. "But then Dumbledore told us about the...precautions that would be in place and he assured my parents that it would be perfectly safe, for me and the students. They agreed eventually and I can't ever express how happy I was that day; all of my dreams were going to come true – I was going to Hogwarts, the place I'd never even allowed myself to consider. My parents forbid me to tell anyone about my..."

"Furry little problem," Sirius inserted with a small smile.

Remus' lips twitched. "Yes, that. They said that, if anybody knew, I'd be expelled or I'd kill someone or the whole school would find out...they fed me tonnes of excuses and I believed them. I thought that if I told _anyone_ then any chance I ever had of a future would just disappear down the drain. So when I started here I had prepared myself for seven lonely years," Remus explained. His voice was slow and somewhat sad, remembering the depression and loneliness of five years before.

"But then I met you guys," he continued. "And I had friends, for the first time in my life, and you _liked_ me. You actually liked me; you didn't pick on me, or push me around. You included me and talked to me and we were _friends._ I was amazed; I'd always assumed that there was something wrong with me, that I was just unlikeable - I didn't have many friends in my primary school either. But I knew, I knew that I'd have to lie to you every month. I thought that if I didn't lie I'd lose the only friends I'd ever had and I didn't ever want that to happen. Every month I'd sit and argue with myself; should I tell you or should I not? Part of me hoped that you wouldn't mind, that you'd still include me but I was sure that if I told you I'd be pushed away and I'd have to be alone again. I didn't want that; I didn't want to be alone again. So I lied and I pretended to myself that it was good, it was for the best. I could kid myself that I had true friends, even if it was just for a short while. But Sirius, lying to you guys, that made me miserable; I hated it. I hated having to sneak around and having to hide from you. I dreaded the full moon not only because of what would happen to me but because I knew that I would have to tell you lies and I hated doing it; I wanted real friends, and friends don't lie to each other," he said firmly. His voice was slightly louder now, almost at normal volume.

Sirius sighed. "Moony, I know what you're trying to say, but-"

"Wait, Sirius. Let me finish. You remember when you guys found out, right?" he asked.

"As if I would forget," Sirius muttered in reply, remembering the end of his first year.

"Well, I was terrified at first, because I thought you'd all call me a monster and run screaming, _but you didn't_," Remus smiled, still sounding amazed. "And then I knew that we were truly friends and I can tell you, Sirius, that the relief I felt when you knew...there's nothing to describe that. Nothing." Remus shook his head in amazement. "It made me wish I'd told you sooner and still, to this day, I wish that I'd never lied to you guys."

Sirius made a face. "This is different, Moony," he muttered. "What you are doesn't change _who _you are. What I am does."

"No, it doesn't," Remus argued. "You're still Sirius, albeit a moody and beautiful one."

Sirius gave a small laugh. "So what you're trying to say is, I should tell James," he concluded.

Remus nodded. "You know he won't shun you; he'll just be relieved to know the truth," he said comfortingly.

"But what if he doesn't?" Sirius asked, turning to look at his friend. "What if he abandons me? What will I do then?" The thought of not having James by his side was terrifying and horribly painful; Sirius wasn't sure what he would do without his brother.

"Do you really think so little of James that you believe that he would do that?" Remus said, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't know," Sirius replied truthfully, looking away. "I don't know what to think anymore. He'll be mad at me for lying, and yet I can't help it. Lying just seems like the best option because Remus, if he did hate me for what I am, I couldn't take that. I'd rather he was oblivious and I still had him as a friend." He bit his lip for a few seconds whilst Remus absorbed what he was saying. "And I know that's selfish," he added. "But I can't help it."

"Yes you can, Sirius," Remus encouraged. "Don't make the same mistake I made."

Sirius knocked his head against the wall in frustration, the response to which was an ominous sounding crack. He glanced behind him and swore at the fracture he had made in the stone. Remus gave a short laugh as Sirius scrambled to his feet and began dragging a suit of armour over to hide the break.

"Subtle," Remus remarked sarcastically, observing Sirius' positioning of the armour. "Now all you have to worry about it the oh-so-unobvious empty pedestal." He looked pointedly at the pedestal in question. Sirius thought for a moment then reached behind the armour and picked a piece of stone from the wall. He dropped it onto the stone platform and Transfigured it into a vase with a flick of his wand.

"No one will ever notice," Remus drawled sarcastically, laughing to himself. Sirius grinned.

"That's because I'm the master of disguise," he said grandly, dropping into a low bow. Remus rolled his eyes at Sirius antics but felt extraordinarily relieved that he seemed normal again.

"So, er...what actually happened with Simaltis?" Remus asked tentatively.

Sirius stopped larking about immediately and grew serious. "Well, he was totally serious about being a vampire hunter," he said slowly. "He said a load of stuff, nothing major, not really."

"'Not really?'"Remus repeated, looking sceptical.

"Well, he did say that he wanted to kill me," Sirius said awkwardly. "Actually, he promised that he would."

"What? Why?" Remus demanded in shock.

"That's what he does, Remus," Sirius pointed out. "It's his job. And he said something about Artifex..."

"Said what?" Remus asked. Sirius remained silent. "Sirius if you don't tell me there's nothing I can do to help," Remus said firmly.

"You can't help anyway, Moony. This is...vampire stuff," Sirius said, squirming uncomfortably.

"I might be able to do something," Remus protested. "What did he say about Bartimus?"

"Artifex," Sirius corrected automatically. "He said that he and Artifex had had a fight a while ago, and that if he killed me it would be his revenge on him."

Remus gaped at him. "He wants to kill you specifically?"

"That's the plan," Sirius replied cheerfully as they made their way down the corridor towards the Great Hall.

"But...what happened with...?"

"Apparently, Artifex fought with him and killed all of his men. He says he was nearly killed as well," Sirius told him.

Remus looked astounded. "But...I thought Artifex was nice?" he asked, bewildered.

"Well, yeah, he is. That's what confuses me; I can't see him needlessly attacking someone. That's not the Artifex I know," Sirius said, frowning. It had been bothering him since he had run from Simaltis; _why had they fought? _

"Maybe you could ask him?" Remus suggested.

"Oh, and tell him that some psycho hunter is after me? No thanks; he'd never let me out of his sight," Sirius snorted. "No, I don't think Simaltis will do anything in school, and when I'm not in school he won't know where I am – I'll be perfectly safe."

"Sirius, I don't know, maybe you should tell someone, Dumbledore perhaps?" Remus said, biting his lip nervously.

"Remus, trust me; it's better if Artifex doesn't know, he'll go crazy worrying," Sirius said firmly. "I can look after myself."

They had reached the Great Hall by now and were about to walk inside when Sirius stopped dead in his tracks.

"What is it?" Remus asked in alarm, staring through the doors.

"It's Simaltis," Sirius muttered, glaring towards the Gryffindor table. "He's speaking to James."

Remus cursed and hurried inside, closely followed by Sirius.

"Professor," Remus greeted, slightly breathlessly. "How are you?"

"Mr Lupin," Simaltis drawled. "Nice essay." He ignored Sirius completely and instead turned back to James. "Thank you for your help Mr Potter," he said with a twisted looking smile. He strode away, cloak billowing, leaving the Marauders to talk amongst themselves.

"What did he want?" Sirius hissed. James turned to stare coldly at him.

"He was wondering if you were okay," he said icily. Sirius looked taken aback by James' tone before he registered what James had said.

"What exactly did he say?" Remus demanded, dropping into the seat opposite James. Sirius sat beside him.

James shrugged. "Wondered if Sirius was alright. I said he seemed a bit down and that he didn't come to Charms, and then he asked if he was okay generally." He turned to Sirius. "I said you had insomnia a lot, and that you were always up before us," he said. "Why? What's happened?"

"Noth-" Sirius began, but at the icy look in James' eyes he broke off. "I'll explain later," he promised.

James brightened a little. "Everything?" he asked, looking hopeful.

"As much as I can," Sirius said, nodding. "I'll tell you soon." He sighed. "I guess you should know anyway."

Remus offered a tentative smile in Sirius' direction but the vampire did not see it; his gaze was focused far away, wondering how he could possibly explain the situation to James, his brother. How could he explain to him that he was a killer? A monster? There were no words to fit the thoughts and feelings that were plaguing Sirius but he knew he had to try or else risk losing his brother and friend. He had made up his mind now anyway and he wasn't about to go back on his decision. He nodded to himself.

"Tomorrow," he said. "I'll tell you everything."


	21. Betrayal Of The Worst Kind

Sirius spent the entire night wondering what he could say to James but, even so, when the Marauders awoke the next morning he was still clueless. He couldn't get the story straight in his head; he didn't know how to tell it.

"Good morning," said James cheerfully, heading into the bathroom.

"Yeah," Sirius replied quietly, a second too late; James had already closed the door. Remus came over, fully dressed, and sat heavily on the bed beside Sirius.

"So, what are you going to say to him?" he asked quietly.

Sirius shrugged. "I honestly don't know Remus, I'm just hoping that the words come when the time arrives," he sighed. "And I suppose I should tell Peter as well," he added as Peter stood groggily and began to change.

"James is the priority Sirius," Remus said firmly. "One thing at a time."

Sirius nodded, biting his lip. "What if he rejects me, Remus? What will I do then?"

"He won't," Remus assured him.

Sirius turned fearful eyes to his werewolf friend. "But I'm afraid Remus," he whispered. "I'm scared he'll hate me."

"We've already discussed this," Remus said in despair. "We know that James will accept you, bloodthirsty monster or not."

Sirius winced, sucking in a quick breath.

"Sorry," Remus apologised hurriedly. "Bad joke."

Sirius rose as James hurriedly dressed and led his friends down the staircase and into the common room. They walked to the Great Hall in near silence but it was not awkward; the boys were perfectly content to just walk along together in a dream-like state.

Sirius sat completely still as his friends ate their breakfast, feeling Simaltis' glare on the back of his head like a laser. He neither moved nor spoke as James helped himself to seconds and then thirds of everything and only showed signs of life when the others had finished eating and were ready to head to Care of Magical Creatures, one of the few classes Sirius had without Remus. It felt odd to be able to breathe fresh smelling air and he smiled to himself, inhaling deeply.

"Are you stoned?" James asked, staring at him oddly.

Sirius smiled and shook his head. "Nah, I just like the fresh air," he said.

James narrowed his eyes curiously but didn't say anything else; apparently he had patience enough to wait until Sirius told him everything later that day.

The day flashed by so quickly Sirius felt dizzy and he soon found himself sitting in lunch with horrible knots in his stomach; he had agreed with himself that he would tell James after lunch, during Transfiguration – he was sure James wouldn't mind skipping class and McGonagall would understand. Well, she would give them detention which, Sirius supposed, was as close to understanding as she would come.

As Remus rose to leave Sirius turned and caught his wrist. Remus winced and Sirius immediately let go uttering an apology.

"James and I are going to go for a walk, will you explain to Minnie?" he asked nervously, watching out of the corner of his eyes as James prepared to leave.

"Yeah," Remus said, rubbing his wrist. "Course I will. Am I to assume that you aren't going to be in Herbology later either?"

"Probably safe to do so, yes," Sirius agreed. "Sorry again," he added, glancing at Remus' wrist.

"It's okay; I have tougher bones than an ordinary human," Remus said with a small smile.

"Tell me about it," Sirius muttered as he turned to James. "Erm...do you want to come for a walk?" he asked meaningfully.

James looked up and met Sirius' gaze. He gave a short nod and led the way out of the hall.

"Good luck," Remus hissed as Sirius strode away.

He met with James at the front doors and they walked together in silence down the steps. Sirius led James towards a path he knew well and started pacing along it at a leisurely speed that James wouldn't have trouble keeping up with.

James kept stride with him in silence, expecting Sirius to start speaking first.

"So, James, I said that I would tell you everything," Sirius said, his hands in his pockets. "And so I'm going to. But before I start I want to say that I'll understand if you run away from me. I mean, I don't want you to but I'll understand and...I'm sorry I lied before."

James looked a little unnerved but didn't say anything.

Sirius took a breath. "During the holiday my _father _thought it would be an idea to invite a certain guest to the house," he began. "Only, the guest was a little more dangerous than I had reckoned, until I got closer to him. I realised what he was in time but it was almost too late. Don't ask me how I managed to get away from him that first time; I'll never know, but I did. I ran away from the house, thinking that I was leaving the stranger behind. I never once suspected that he would follow me; I was an idiot. I ran into an alley and it was only then that I realised I was being followed. But by then it was too late. The man attacked me and he..." Sirius paused, searching inside him for the words he never wanted to say. "...he bit me," he whispered. "And then he left me."

James stood stock still, his face paler that his white shirt. "He bit you?" he repeated, his voice shaking.

Sirius nodded. "Bit me, yes. I woke up in hospital and they told me what had happened. I was angry; I couldn't believe it. How could they just tell me something like that? I wished I was dead," Sirius laughed bitterly. "I should be so lucky."

James didn't say anything; he was still standing in the middle of the pathway, his hands shaking by his sides. Sirius turned away from him and forced himself to continue.

"I slept, a lot, and when I woke up again I was so thirsty I thought it would drive me mad. I tried to drink the water in the jug but it wasn't right; it didn't help; I needed something else. When the Healer came in I tried to attack him," Sirius admitted, shamefaced. "I drunk blood from the goblet he gave me but I wanted more. I always want more."

James had started walking again but Sirius noticed that there was a significant space between them and he realised that James was afraid of him.

"I thought I wasn't going to be allowed to come here, but Dumbledore said I could. And so I came back, a little different, but I'm still me James," Sirius said, desperately. "It's still Sirius you're talking to now. I haven't changed, not really."

"You fought with Remus. On the train," James said quietly, sounding unwilling.

Sirius nodded. "I wasn't prepared for that," he said slowly. "I didn't realise that being around a werewolf would be so...difficult. But we managed; we've only fought twice," Sirius said, trying to sound optimistic.

"You could've killed him," James whispered.

"No," Sirius protested. "I'd never..."

He stopped mid sentence as he realised that the words he so longed to utter were a lie.

"He's okay," he said eventually. "He was barely hurt."

James forced a laugh. "And what about next time...Sirius? What about when you get a little touchy and take a swing at him? Or when you get a little thirsty and take a bite out of me, or Peter?"

Sirius winced as a pain he had never felt before shot through him, shattering his hopes of being forgiven for what he was. "It's not like that," he whispered thickly, struggling not to cry. "Artifex, he showed me how to-"

"Who's Artifex?" James demanded. "Another little bloodsucker?"

Sirius drew in a sharp breath but otherwise didn't react to the insult; he didn't want James to know how much this was affecting him.

"Artifex is the High Vampire," he replied quietly.

James snorted. "High Vampire?" he questioned incredulously. "What does he do then? Tally up all the innocents you kill?"

Sirius took a deep breath. "He makes sure nobody does anything stupid," he said.

"What, like making more of you?" James snapped. He was furious and scared which was not a good combination, even at the best of times.

"No," Sirius said. "That's not up to him."

"So who bit you?" James asked, uncaring of how hurtful such a question might be. Sirius bit his lip.

"Remember the one Professor Simaltis talked about? At the start of term?" he said slowly, anxious about James' reaction.

"_He _bit you?" James asked, looking disgusted. "My God. You shouldn't exist, Sirius," he said quietly, his voice venomous. "You're exactly what Simaltis was warning us about."

"Yes, James, don't you see? This is _why _he taught you that all vampires are bad; he wanted you to hate me," Sirius argued loudly, terrified that his brother was going to abandon him.

"Well, he was right, wasn't he? What have you proved to me so far? You've admitted that your kind bite others, that you always want blood, that you can't help attacking people," James fired off, grinding to a halt as he faced Sirius. He kept at least three feet of space between them and was careful not to step too close but otherwise he seemed unafraid, just disgusted.

"It's not like that James, there's other stuff as well; vampires aren't bad, not like Simaltis taught us," he said desperately.

"Sirius, if I ask you something, do you promise me you won't lie?" James asked icily.

"Of course, I swear," Sirius said quickly, eager to comply if it meant that James wouldn't leave him.

"Have you killed anyone?"

The question caught Sirius off guard and he was furious at himself for not foreseeing it; it was an obvious question and easy to answer and yet he found that he couldn't.

"James, I-"

"Answer yes or no, Sirius. Have you killed anyone?" James repeated, his eyes shining with fury and revulsion.

"Yes," Sirius whispered, unwilling to lie to James again.

"How many?" James demanded, his jaw set.

Sirius shook his head. "I don't know." As he spoke the tears he had fought to keep back slid down his cheeks. James gave a horrified screech and stumbled backwards, staring at Sirius.

"James, please-" Sirius moaned, taking a single step towards his brother.

"Get away from me, _vampire_," he spat, breathing heavily.

Sirius froze, stunned at the loathing in James' voice. "Please, James; it's still me," he begged, blood running freely down his face as James turned from him.

"No, it's not," James said slowly. "Sirius died long ago. You're an insult to his memory." With that he turned and strode away, leaving a broken Sirius standing in the middle of the path as his life crumbled around him.

When James was out of sight Sirius let go of his control and fell to the floor, heaving with the suppressed sobs, blood spattering onto the path below him to create a scarlet puddle around his head. His hair was soon sodden, his face covered with his traitorous tears as he cried for all that he had lost.

It took a long time to calm down but he did eventually and he pulled himself into a sitting position, dangerously thirsty and feeling horribly empty and lost. He dragged himself to his feet, every movement costing him too much energy. He felt so crushed by shock and an overwhelming depression that he nearly fell again as he gained his feet but he managed to keep steady, standing weakly in the middle of the path, his brother's invisible footprints laid out before him. Sirius turned away from them and away from the rejection he had just suffered, determined not to think of it. He knew he could not go back up to the school and face James' anger and disgust but he didn't know what else to do; he had nowhere to go.

He turned back to the castle and stepped forwards, realising it was easier than he had anticipated and walked several steps forward. He was about twenty strides from where James had left him when he heard somebody following close behind him. He whirled around, suddenly gripped by an overpowering terror but there was nothing there.

He stepped forwards, searching for the culprit but there was no one; he was alone on the path. He stared into the gathering darkness; sure that somebody was standing about fifty feet along the path, concealed behind a tree. He watched the tree for a long moment, trying to decipher what looked wrong about it, every muscle in his body tensed for an attack he felt sure was going to come.

For at least two minutes there was not a single movement in Sirius' surroundings and when Sirius had decided it was safe he took a tentative step forward, still gazing towards the tree. He breathed in deeply through his nose, wondering if it was a squirrel but the smell that came to him was not that of a warm blooded squirrel; it was that of a human.

"Hello?" he called quietly, taking another two steps forward. "Are you okay?"

Whoever was behind the tree did not reply and Sirius wondered if something was wrong but a terrible fear and suspicion held him in place.

"I can see you," he said loudly, wondering if that was a wise thing to have revealed.

"Oh, I know," a deep voice replied. "I prefer it that way."

Sirius' breath caught in his throat as the smooth voice caressed at his fear. He turned to run but thirst had made him clumsy and he stumbled, hitting the floor with a horrendous crash that sounded like a death sentence to his ears.

The figure from behind the tree strode towards him, shrouded in black cloak with the hood pulled over his face but Sirius knew who he was.

"On your feet," the man snarled. Sirius struggled upright, his limbs shaking. He felt the instinctive urge to attack but, again, fear left him powerless and vulnerable.

The man reached up slowly to pull down his hood and as he did so Sirius registered the heavy looking gun in his hand. He drew in a sharp breath and took a fearful step backwards.

"What do you want?" he asked, his voice trembling.

"You," Simaltis replied. Then he cocked the gun, aimed it at Sirius' head and fired.


End file.
